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WORLD    AND    ITS    PEOPLE, 


BOOK  XII. 


THE  WORLD  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 


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THE 

WORLD  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

BOOK  XII. 

PORTO   RICO:    THE  LAND    OF 
THE  RICH  PORT 


BY 


JOSEPH    B.    SEABURY 


SILVER,  BURDETT  AND  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK     BOSTON      CHICAGO 


COPYRIGHT,  1903, 
BY  SILVER,    BURDETT  AND  COMPANY. 


Bancroft /LibraVy 


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SILVER,  BURDETT  AND  COMPANY. 


PREFACE. 

DURING  a  brief  period  of  time,  now  regarded  as 
forming  an  epoch  in  American  history,  Porto  Rico 
came  into  prominence  as  an  important  section  of  the 
island-world.  Although  it  lies  nearer  to  the  United 
States  than  to  any  other  of  the  great  republics  or 
empires  of  the  globe,  it  was  comparatively  unknown 
to  the  American  people.  We  knew  its  location,  but 
not  its  physical  features;  its  people,  but  not  their 
domestic  life,  their  daily  tasks  and  pursuits.  We 
regarded  this  fertile  island  as  permanently  allied  with 
a  European  power,  with  no  thought  of  possessing  it 
ourselves.  We  had  come  to  think  of  this  Republic  of 
ours  as  always  to  be  confined  within  continental  boun- 
daries, and  not  at  all  likely  to  embrace  in  her  territory 
insular  lands. 

Five  years  ago  our  acquaintance  with  Porto  Rico 
was  of  that  general  character  as  now  marks  our  knowl- 
edge of  Madagascar,  Sumatra,  or  Borneo;  it  lacked 
definite  detail. 

Great  events  in  current  history,  especially  the  con- 
quest of  arms  on  land  and  sea,  necessitating  changes  in 
the  map  of  the  world,  awaken  a  desire  for  more  specific 
information  regarding  those  portions  of  the  globe  where 
historic  events  have  occurred  and  conquests  have  been 
made.  If,  as  Mr.  Webster  once  said,  "  Knowledge  is 
the  great  sun  in  the  firmament,"  then  knowledge  must 
be  precise,  accurate,  and,  in  a  measure,  technical. 

5 


6  PREFACE. 

The  transfer  of  Porto  Rico  from  the  control  of  Spain 
to  that  of  the  United  States  was  the  signal  for  a  wide- 
spread, popular  desire  for  thorough  and  reliable  infor- 
mation regarding  a  portion  of  the  globe  which  had  so 
unexpectedly  passed  into  new  hands. 

This  book  has  been  written  for  young  people,  and  is 
designed  to  broaden  their  acquaintance  with  Porto 
Rican  life.  The  account  is  given  from  the  point  of 
view  of  one  approaching  the  island,  entering  it  at  one 
of  its  open  gate\vays,  and  looking  for  the  first  time 
upon  its  fascinating  scenery,  its  busy  streets,  its  rural 
occupations.  An  earlier  volume  in  this  series,  "  The 
Story  of  the  Philippines,"  tells  of  centuries  of  warfare, 
of  struggles  for  independence  ;  but  Porto  Rico  has  no 
prolonged  and  varied  history,  no  exciting  historical 
periods.  For  this  reason  but  little  space  is  given  in 
this  book  to  the  annals  of  the  past.  The  writer's  aim 
has  been  to  picture  the  island  as  it  is  to-day,  with  its 
face  turned  toward  the  future. 

Unlike  the  Philippines,  which  are  large  clusters  of 
islands  within  a  vast  archipelago,  Porto  Rico  is  but 
one  link  in  a  chain  of  islands,  is  at  its  eastern  ex- 
tremity, and  apart  by  itself. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Porto  Rico  has  an  area 
five  hundred  square  miles  less  than  Hawaii,  the  largest 
island  of  the  group  that  bears  its  name,  while  the  area 
of  all  the  Hawaiian  islands  is  twice  that  of  Porto  Rico. 
Its  smallness,  its  compactness,  and  the  unity  and  va- 
riety of  its  products  make  it  an  attractive  and  satis- 
factory object  of  study. 

Since  the  stirring  events  of  1898,  the  value  of  Porto 
Rico  to  the  United  States  has  steadily  increased.  It 


PREFACE.  7 

has  become  equally  apparent  that  Porto  Rico  needed 
just  such  a  friend  as  the  United  States  is  proving  her- 
self to  be.  The  one  purpose  which  has  actuated  our 
government  has  been  adhered  to,  viz.  to  improve  the 
condition  of  the  people,  to  give  them  larger  returns 
for  their  labor,  to  provide  them  with  better  sanitary 
laws,  better  schools,  better  dwellings.  This  complex 
problem  the  United  States  is  now  working  out. 

Porto  Rico  has  not  filled  a  very  important  place  in 
the  literature  of  American  travel  and  research.  Up 
to  the  time  when  the  fortunes  of  war  so  materially 
changed  the  status  of  the  island,  nearly  all  the  books 
written  on  the  subject  were  in  Spanish  and  issued  from 
the  presses  at  Madrid.  The  only  notable  exception  is 
the  valuable  work  by  Colonel  George  D.  Flinter  of  the 
general  staff  of  the  army  of  the  Queen  of  Spain.  The 
book  is  in  English,  and  gives  a  reliable  account  of  the 
"Present  State  of  the  Island  of  Porto  Rico";  it  was 
published  in  1834.  It  has  been  used,  to  some  extent, 
in  the  preparation  of  the  present  volume.  The  author 
has  also  found  useful  the  latest  government  reports, 
which  are  compiled  from  careful  investigations  by 
United  States  officials. 

It  is  hoped  the  reader  will  make  good  use  of  the  map 
of  Porto  Rico,  it  being  indispensable  that  in  exploring 
a  new  country  frequent  reference  be  made  to  its  geo- 
graphical features.  The  Table  of  Pronunciation  should 
be  of  service  to  the  reader  in  making  himself  familiar 
with  Porto  Rican  proper  names,  so  many  of  which  are 
entirely  new  to  him. 

J.  B.  S. 

MAY,  1903. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

PAGE 

I. 

THE  ISLAND  OUTLINES    

.           15 

II. 

ODD  SIGHTS  IN  PORTO  Rico  .... 

.       25 

III. 

THE  PEOPLE  —  THEIR  HOME  LIFE 

.      37 

IV. 

THE  PEOPLE  —  THEIR  RECREATIONS 

.      46 

V. 

MOUNTAINS,  PLAINS,  AND  CAVES  . 

.       54 

VI. 

RIVERS  AND  SOIL    

.       66 

VII. 

CLIMATE,  RAINFALL,  HURRICANES 

.       76 

VIII. 

THE  THREE  GREAT  STAPLES 

.      84 

IX. 

99 

X. 

FORESTS  AND  MINERALS         .... 

.     109 

XI. 

ANIMALS,  INSECTS,  AND  FISH 

.     116 

XII. 

124 

XIII. 

INLAND  TOWNS         

.     141 

XIV. 

ROADS        

.     152 

-  XV. 

THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  CENSUS 

.     161 

XVI. 

THE  SCHOOLS  OF  PORTO  Rico 

.     167 

XVII. 

MONEY  AND  THE  EXCHANGE  OF  COIN  . 

.     177 

XVIII. 

IN  POSSESSION  OF  THE  ISLAND 

.     181 

XIX. 

SETTING  UP  THE  NEW  GOVERNMENT     . 

.     189 

XX. 

199 

XXI. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH         

.     207 

XXII. 

RELICS  OF  THE  WAR  WITH  SPAIN 

.    213 

217 

INDEX 

,    219 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 


MAP  OF  PORTO  Rico Frontispiece 

PAGE 

SAN  JUAN,  SHOWING  COLUMBUS  PLAZA  AND  INNER  HARBOR      .  17 

LA  POERTA  DE  SAN  JUAN.      THE  ONLY  REMAINING  CITY  GATE  19 

SEA  WALL  FROM  SAN  CRISTOBAL.     EL  MORRO  IN  THE  DISTANCE  21 
EL    MORRO   AND    CITY    OF    SAN   JUAN,    LOOKING   ACROSS    THE 

HARBOR  ENTRANCE  FROM  CABRAS  ISLAND    ....  22 

THE  MILKMAN 27 

INTERIOR  OF  MARKET,  SAN  JUAN 29 

HAT  SELLERS 31 

NATIVE  LAUNDRY .32 

A  BEGGAR 34 

WAYFARERS 39 

NATIVE  HUTS 41 

WINNOWING  RICE 42 

ANOTHER  TYPE  OF  HUT 43 

A  GROUP  OF  NEGROES .44 

CHILDREN  IN  CARNIVAL  COSTUME 47 

A  ROADSIDE  ORCHESTRA .49 

THE  PICKANINNIES'  DINNER  PARTY 52 

A  SHARP  TURN  ON  THE  MOUNTAIN  SIDE  NEAR  GUAYAMA          .  56 

GUANICA,  A  VILLAGE  ON  THE  SEACOAST     .....  59 

THE  PLAIN  OF  SANTA  ISABEL ,61 

A  MILL  FOR  GRINDING  CORN 69 

FALLS  OF  THE  MORONES 73 

THE  COAMO  RIVER 75 

COCOA  PALMS 78 

11 


12  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

CLEARING  A  CANE  FIELD 87 

CLEARING  A  CANE  FIELD  WITH  A  HARROW        ....  89 

A  SUGAR  MILL  IN  MANATI 91 

A  COFFEE  PLANTATION  IN  ADJUNTAS 95 

BRINGING  BANANAS  TO  MARKET 100 

AN  ORANGE  GROVE  IN  MAYAGUEZ      ......  101 

THE  GUAVA 102 

THE  MANGO 103 

A  COCOANUT  FARM  IN  MAYAGUEZ 104 

GATHERING  COCOANUTS 105 

THE  BLOSSOM  OF  THE  CLOVE  TREE 107 

UNDER  THE  SPREADING  PALM 110 

ROYAL  PALMS 113 

AN  AGOUTI  ...........  117 

A  MONGOOSE .  118 

A  LAND  CRAB      ..........  119 

AN  ARMADILLO 121 

SAN  JUAN.     FROM  FORT  SAN  CRISTOBAL    .....  125 
THE  FIRST  TROLLEY  CAR  IN  SAN  JUAN  CROSSING  PLAZA  PRIN- 
CIPAL   129 

THE  CATHEDRAL  AT  PONCE 133 

THE  PLAZA  AT  MAYAGUEZ  ........  135 

THE  CITY  OF  ARECIBO 137 

THE  LIGHTHOUSE  AT  MAUNABO 139 

THE  CITY  OF  UTUADO 144 

THE  CITY  OF  COAMO 147 

THE  MAIN  STREET  IN  CAGUAS 149 

THE  CITY  OF  FAJARDO 150 

THE  PLAZA  OF  GUAYAMA 151 

THE  MILITARY  ROAD,  NEAR  AIBONITO 153 

AIBONITO  :    A  VIEW  OF  THE  TOWN 154 

AIBONITO  :    A  GENERAL  VIEW 155 

THE  MILITARY  ROAD,  NEAR  GUAYAMA 157 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  13 

PAGE 

AN  INLAND  ROAD 160 

CHART  SHOWING   RELATIVE  AREAS   CULTIVATED   IN  PRINCIPAL 

CROPS 163 

CHART  SHOWING  THE  GROWTH  OF  POPULATION  ....  165 

A  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  AT  MAYAGUEZ 169 

RAISING  THE  FLAG  AT  THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  SCHOOL,  SAN  JUAN  172 

A  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  AT  ARECIBO  .......  174 

DR.  SAMUEL  M.  LINDSAY 176 

THE  CITY  HALL,  SAN  JUAN 178 

FORT  SAN  CRISTOBAL,  OCEAN  SIDE 180 

CAMP  OF  LIGHT  BATTERY  M.,  SEVENTH  ARTILLERY           .         .  183 

A  COMPANY  OF  SPANISH  TROOPS          ......  185 

THE  GOVERNOR'S  PALACE,  SAN  JUAN          .....  187 

GENERAL  GUY  V.  HENRY    .        .         .         ...         .        .188 

BOAT  RACES  IN  SAN  JUAN  HARBOR,  JULY  4,  1899    .        .        .  191 

HON.  CHARLES  H.  ALLEN 197 

Rums  AT  PUEBLO  VIEJO,  PORTO  Rico's  FIRST  TOWN       .        .  201 

SAN  FRANCISCO  CHURCH,  SAN  JUAN   .         .         .         .         .         .  205 

A  VIEW  OF  AGUADILLA       ........  208 

THE  MONUMENT  MARKING  THE  LANDING  PLACE  OF  COLUMBUS  209 

PONCE  DE  LEON  STATUE  AND  PLAZA,  SAN  JUAN        .         .         .  210 

COLUMBUS  MONUMENT,  SAN  JUAN 211 

CASA  BLANCA,  SAN  JUAN 212 


PORTO   RICO: 

THE  LAND  OF  THE  RICH  PORT. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  ISLAND  OUTLINES. 

IF  we  turn  to  the  map  of  the  United  States  and  trace 
the  eastern  coast  downwards  from  Boston  or  New  York, 
we  find  that  it  ends  with  Florida.  But  there  is  more  land 
beyond.  The  peninsula  of  Florida  points  directly  to  an 
island  which  appears,  as  we  look  at  the  map,  something 
like  a  fish,  with  its  tail  bent  towards  South  America. 
It  is  called  Cuba.  The  nose  of  the  fish  extends  towards 
another  island,  shaped  like  a  horse's  head,  and  known  as 
Haiti.  The  horse's  ears  stretch  up  in  the  direction  of 
Cuba,  while  the  nose  is  almost  on  a  line  with  a  still 
smaller  island,  resembling  in  shape  an  ordinary  building 
brick.  This  little  island,  the  smallest  of  these  bodies  of 
land,  is  Porto  Rico. 

Let  us  study  the  location  of  Porto  Rico  a  little  more 
closely.  If  a  line  should  be  drawn  between  Cape  Sable 
and  the  most  eastern  point  of  Honduras,  and  these  two 
points  should  then  be  connected  by  straight  lines  with 
Porto  Rico,  the  island  would  be  the  apex  of  the  triangle 

15 


16  PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

thus  formed.  Porto  Rico  is  washed  on  its  north  shore 
by  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  on  the  south  by  the  Carib- 
bean Sea,  while  to  the  east  are  the  Leeward  Islands. 

As  we  glance  at  the  map  once  more  we  can  see  that 
the  group  of  islands  of  which  Porto  Rico  is  one  is 
generally  known  as  the  Greater  Antilles.  Before  Colum- 
bus discovered  America,  many  people  in  Europe  were  of 
the  opinion  that  if  some  one  would  take  the  trouble  to 
investigate  the  matter,  a  large  island  would  be  found  in 
the  Atlantic  Ocean,  far  west  of  the  Azores.  No  one  had 
ever  reached  this  island,  so  far  as  any  European  knew, 
but  it  was  spoken  of  as  Antilla.  The  word  comes  from 
the  Latin  ante,  meaning  in  front  of,  and  insula,  an  island. 
The  name  Antilles  was  afterwards  given  to  some  of 
the  islands  on  which  Columbus  first  landed.  In  later 
times  the  islands  between  North  and  South  America 
were  generally  called  the  Antilles,  with  the  exception  of 
the  group  known  as  the  Bahamas.  The  four  largest  of 
the  islands,  Cuba,  Haiti,  Jamaica,  and  Porto  Rico,  are 
distinguished  as  the  Greater  Antilles,  the  groups  farther 
to  the  southeast,  which  embrace  twenty-six  islands  in  all, 
being  known  as  the  Lesser  Antilles. 

The  Antilles  form  a  sort  of  curved  line  from  the  en- 
trance to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  almost  around  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Orinoco  River.  Porto  Rico  is  at  the  large  bend  of 
the  curve,  and  is  the  most  easterly  and  the  smallest  of  the 
Greater  Antilles.  Haiti,  its  next-door  neighbor  on  the 
west,  is  eight  times  as  large,  and  Cuba  occupies  about 
space  enough  to  hold  an  even  dozen  bodies  of  land  of  the 
size  of  Porto  Rico.  We  might  think  from  this  that  Porto 
Rico  is  a  small  and  insignificant  island.  It  is  really, 
however,  about  three  times  as  large  as  Rhode  Island, 


18  PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

and  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  regions  that  we  hear 
anything  about.  We  shall  find  it  quite  worth  our  while 
to  visit  Porto  Rico,  and  we  shall  enjoy  making  acquaint- 
ance with  the  plants  and  animals  and  people  of  this 
ambitious  little  island,  just  north  of  the  Caribbean  Sea. 
To  reach  it  we  must  take  a  sail  of  fourteen  hundred 
miles ;  if  we  start  from  New  York,  a  five  days'  voyage. 

The  island  has  been  compared  to  various  objects. 
One  writer  has  seen  in  its  shape  some  likeness  to  an 
ox  dressed  and  ready  for  market.  By  a  little  play  of 
imagination  we  can  easily  trace  the  outlines  of  a  human 
profile  in  the  western  coast-line.  The  southwestern  por- 
tion, Point  Aguila,  is  the  long,  square,  and  prominent 
chin.  The  deep  depression  forming  the  harbor  of  Maya- 
guez  is  the  bold  mouth,  open  as  if  about  to  speak. 
Cape  San  Francisco  is  the  upturned  nose.  The  eye  is 
at  Moca,  and  above  it  appears  the  forehead,  low  and  flat. 

The  Japanese  people  are  so  proud  of  their  beautiful 
mountain  Fusiyama,  that  we  can  hardly  find  one  of 
their  pictures,  even  on  a  fan,  that  does  not  show  this 
snow-topped  mountain  in  the  background.  The  people 
of  Porto  Rico  have  a  mountain  of  which  they  are  nearly 
as  proud.  It  is  called  El  Yunque,  and  it  is  the  first 
object  that  attracts  the  eye  as  we  approach  the  island 
from  the  north.  If  the  day  is  clear,  we  shall  probably 
catch  our  first  glimpse  of  picturesque  El  Yunque  when 
we  are  still  seventy  miles  from  land.  As  we  sail  nearer, 
we  begin  to  distinguish  what  appears  to  be  a  long  stretch 
of  cloud,  but  which  is  really  the  low-lying  shore  of  the 
island  itself.  Soon  the  sky-line  becomes  wavy,  then 
abruptly  broken,  and  finally  the  irregular  summits  of 
other  mountains  come  within  our  view. 


THE    ISLAND   OUTLINES. 


19 


As  we  approach  still  nearer  San  Juan,  we  feel  that  the 
island  was  indeed  rightly  named  Porto  Rico,  the  "  rich 
port."  Along  the  lower  portions,  near  the  coast,  are 
wide  stretches  of  green,  which  extend  upwards  to  the 
sloped  sides  of  the  hills.  We  can  see  between  the  hills 
the  narrow  valleys,  the  cultivated  fields  and  white  vil- 
lages, with  their  fringes  of  tall  and  majestic  palms, 


LA   PUERTA   DE   SAN   JUAN.     THE   ONLY   REMAINING   CITY   GATE. 

"resembling  Indians  with  feathers  and  plumes."  Form- 
ing a  background  for  all  are  the  ridges  of  hills  and  moun- 
tains, rising  one  behind  the  other,  each  ridge  higher 
than  that  in  front,  and  reminding  the  observer  of  the 
rolling  billows  of  the  sea.  Some  of  the  slopes  are 
covered  with  forests,  with  every  coloring  of  green  from 
the  lightest  to  the  darkest  shade.  The  picture,  as  we 
see  it  from  our  place  on  the  steamer's  deck,  is  certainly 


20  PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

a  charming  one.  No  wonder  t.he  island  is  known  as  "  a 
rich  garden  spot." 

The  observer  is  especially  impressed  with  the  small- 
ness  of  everything.  Travelers  often  speak  of  Porto 
Rico  as  a  country  in  miniature.  Many  of  the  hills  are 
hardly  more  than  knolls,  yet  they  are  so  rounded  and 
so  perfect  in  shape  that  they  are  recognized  at  once 
as  hills.  The  mountains,  with  one  or  two  exceptions, 
would  hardly  be  called  by  so  dignified  a  title  were  they 
in  the  neighborhood  of  our  mighty  Rockies  or  Adiron- 
dacks.  Yet  they  show  their  peaks  and  chains  as  dis- 
tinctively as  those  to  be  seen  on  the  continent.  And 
the  gardens,  the  trees,  the  rivers,  and  the  lakes  — 
all  are  in  the  Porto  Rican  landscape,  but  all  are  of 
diminutive  size.  The  Porto  Ricans  themselves,  while 
not  so  large  nor  so  rugged  as  the  people  of  the 
northern  and  colder  climates,  are  well  proportioned 
and  sensitively  organized. 

Before  we  land  at  San  Juan,  let  us  sail  around  the 
island  and  see  what  the  other  sides  are  like.  On  the  south, 
by  the  Caribbean  Sea,  the  mountain  range  runs  nearer  to 
the  coast.  The  hills  rise  up  in  ridges  with  here  and 
there  a  sharp  peak.  Columbus  first  saw  the  island  from 
the  south,  arid,  on  his  return  to  Spain,  he  spoke  to  Queen 
Isabella  of  the  picturesque  effect.  The  mountains  of  the 
island,  according  to  his  report,  appeared  to  him  like  a 
handkerchief  folded  and  wrinkled. 

But  whatever  be  the  direction  of  approach,  hills  of 
great  beauty  will  be  seen.  To  the  south  the  moun- 
tains reach  the  very  water's  edge.  To  the  west  the  slope 
is  gradual  and  extends  also  to  the  shore.  On  the  north- 
ern side,  and  on  the  southern  side  east  of  Ponce,  wide 


THE   ISLAND   OUTLINES.  21 

ottndy  stretches  connect  the  uplands  with  the  sea.  To 
the  southwest,  beyond  Ponce,  are  coast-hills,  some  of 
them  slanting  from  the  central  mountain  and  ending  in 
bold  bluffs  a  hundred  feet  high.  Beyond  these  are  grace- 


SEA  WALL   FROM   SAN   CRISTOBAL.      EL   MORRO   IN  THE   DISTANCE. 

ful  valleys,  in  one  of  which  is  the  Lake  of  Guanica.  Near 
by  are  the  cerros,  low,  rounded,  wooded  hills,  similar  to 
the  "  knobs  "  of  our  Western  States. 

Like  the  coast  of  Maine,  the  shore  of  Cuba  is  dotted 
with  islands.  Porto  Rico,  on  the  other  hand,  has  very 
few,  excepting  on  the  eastern  side.  There  the  waters 
are  dotted  with  little  islands  and  reefs,  of  which  Vieques, 
the  principal  one,  was  used  by  the  Spaniards  as  a  mili- 
tary prison.  Soldiers  were  kept  there,  when  convicted 
of  crime.  The  lonely  island  of  Desecho,  off  the  western 
coast,  is  the  home  of  millions  of  sea  birds  that  build  their 


THE   ISLAND   OUTLINES.  23 

nests  among  its  rocks.  As  we  pass  by  on  the  steamship 
these  birds  present  a  striking  picture,  fluttering  over 
their  young,  soaring  above  the  water,  or  diving  beneath 
its  surface  in  search  of  food. 

As  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  a  map  of  the  West 
Indies,  the  whole  island  protruding  above  the  surface 
of  the  water  is  a  section  of  the  great  ridge  which  ex- 
tends lengthwise  over  both  North  and  South  America, 
and  of  which  Cuba  and  Santo  Domingo  are  also  portions. 
The  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  island  ends  in  abrupt 
cliffs,  while  on  the  east  the  ridge  continues  unbroken, 
save  that  all,  except  the  portion  which  appears  as  small 
islands,  is  under  the  surface  of  the  water. 

We  will  land  at  San  Juan.  Farther  west  there  is  no 
good  harbor  on  the  northern  coast.  Even  the  busy  sea- 
port Arecibo  is  open  to  the  sea.  On  the  south  side, 
Ponce,  a  flourishing  center  of  trade,  has  a  long,  curved 
anchoring  place,  with  no  wharves  to  which  vessels  may 
tie.  Nor  can  the  ships  that  engage  in  trade  with  Porto 
Rico  moor  even  on  the  western  coast ;  they  must  anchor 
at  a  distance  from  shore  and  unload  by  means  of  light 
boats.  So  we  will  land  at  San  Juan,  for  here  our  ship 
will  find  safe  shelter,  after  it  has  once  made  its  way 
within  the  landlocked  harbor. 

Just  where  is  this  island  of  Porto  Rico  to  which  we 
have  come?  We  have  found  it  a  five  days'  trip  from 
New  York.  It  is  450  miles  from  the  southern  point  of 
Florida,  and  many  miles  farther  east  than  the  eastern- 
most portion  of  Maine.  Halifax  is  two  thousand  miles 
away,  London  twice  that  distance.  The  equator  is  still 
a  thousand  miles  towards  the  south. 

Although  the  United  States  extends  into  the  warm 


24  PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

regions  of  the  sunny  south,  it  has  never,  until  recently, 
possessed  soil  capable  of  growing  some  of  the  great 
staples  of  the  tropics.  Porto  Rico  and  the  Philippines 
have  given  to  our  country  the  very  best  climate  and 
soil  for  the  cultivation  of  sugar,  coffee,  and  numerous 
fruits,  cereals,  and  spices  which  we  think  we  can  hardly 
do  without.  Porto  Rico  is  a  territory  of  the  United 
States  as  truly  as  is  Arizona  or  New  Mexico.  Its  inter- 
ests are  the  concern  not  only  of  our  government,  but  of 
the  people  as  a  whole. 

The  United  States  has  other  "  gardens  "  committed  to 
its  care, — the  great  fruit-growing  regions  of  Southern 
California ;  the  broad  cotton-belt  of  the  South ;  the  treas- 
ure lands  of  Colorado ;  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  "  the  land 
of  the  Rainbow  and  the  Palm  " ;  but  our  real  garden, 
whose  soil  is  "  rich  with  the  spoils  of  nature,"  is  in  the 
blue  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  beneath  the  tropical  sky 
to  the  north  of  the  Caribbean  Sea. 


ODD  SIGHTS  IN   PORTO   RICO.  25 

CHAPTER   II. 

ODD  SIGHTS  IN  PORTO  RICO. 

VERY  early  in  the  morning  we  are  aroused  from  our 
slumbers  by  the  hoarse  cries  of  the  fruit- venders.  As 
we  peep  through  the  window  to  find  what  it  all  means, 
we  see  people  carrying  on  their  heads  great  willow  trays 
of  fresh  fruit.  Piles  of  luscious  yellow  and  copper- 
colored  mangoes  ;  great  heaps  of  the  brown  melons 
known  as  mameys ;  bananas  of  a  dozen  different  varieties, 
from  the  coarse  cooking-banana  nearly  a  foot  in  length 
to  the  dainty  little  fig  and  apple  bananas,  so  called  from 
their  flavor ;  pyramids  of  sweet-smelling  pineapples ; 
green  cocoanuts,  ready  to  refresh  the  purchaser  with 
their  cooling  milk ;  quantities  of  that  most  delicious 
of  tropical  fruits,  the  custard  apple  —  beside  oranges, 
lemons,  citrons,  alligator  pears,  the  juicy  cactus  fruit, 
and  many  other  kinds  for  which  the  English  language 
has  not  even  a  name  —  all  these  form  the  contents  of  the 
baskets.  Throughout  the  towns  and  cities,  and  even 
along  the  dusty  highways,  men,  women,  and  children  of 
all  shades  from  white  to  black  may  be  seen  with  the 
tempting  fruit-trays  on  their  heads.  Every  city  block 
can  boast  its  little  shop  where  one  may  purchase  the 
most  appetizing  fruits  at  a  trifling  cost,  or  may  refresh 
himself  with  a  glass  of  sugar-cane  or  cocoanut  juice. 

The  fruit-vender  is  followed  a  little  later  by  the  milk- 
man, or  woman,  who  comes  slowly  along,  riding  astride 
a  broad-backed  burro,  across  whose  flanks  are  slung  the 
large  milk  cans,  one  on  either  side.  The  milkman  car- 
ries neither  bell  nor  horn  to  announce  his  coming,  nor 


26  PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

is  there  need  of  either.  The  intelligent  little  burro 
knows  his  route  well,  and  the  entrances  to  the  houses 
are  so  wide  that  in  most  places  the  milk  is  deliv- 
ered at  the  very  door,  through  which  the  animals  often 
pass  directly  into  the  kitchen  itself.  Formerly,  and 
even  yet  in  some  districts,  the  cows  with  their  muzzled 
calves  were  driven  from  door  to  door,  that  patrons  might 
see  the  actual  milking  process.  Satisfaction  was  some- 
what marred,  however,  by  the  presence  of  the  calves, 
which  were  robbed  of  their  birthright  before  the  pur- 
chasers' very  eyes.  Occasionally,  nowadays,  a  milkman, 
more  ambitious  than  his  neighbors,  sets  himself  and 
his  cans  on  the  top  of  a  rickety  two-wheeled  cart.  This 
method  of  delivery  is  an  innovation  that  is  not  likely  to 
become  general,  however,  for  some  time  to  come. 

The  baker-man  passes  along  the  streets  displaying  his 
wares  in  plenty  of  time  for  early  breakfast.  His  com- 
modities, also,  are  carried  in  a  basket  on  his  head.  The 
basket  is  arranged  with  the  long  loaves  of  bread  radiating 
from  the  center  so  as  to  allow  fully  half  of  each  loaf  to 
project  over  the  side.  The  smaller  rolls  are  heaped  up 
in  the  center.  The  basket  is  easily  upset,  but,  if  this 
accident  should  occur,  the  carrier  leisurely  and  philo- 
sophically gathers  up  his  scattered  wares,  wiping  off  the 
mud  or  dust  with  his  handkerchief.  In  case  of  rain, 
which  is  apt  to  fall  during  the  rainy  season  with 
scarcely  a  moment's  warning,  he  is  provided  with  a 
piece  of  oilcloth.  This  covering  he  is  more  likely  to 
use  for  his  own  protection  than  for  that  of  his  basket, 
rather  to  the  detriment  of  his  bread. 

All  people  of  the  Latin  races  are  fond  of  sweets.  The 
Porto  Ricans  seem  even  to  have  lengthened  the  list 


ODD   SIGHTS   IN    PORTO   RICO.  27 

of  dainties  handed  down  to  them  by  their  Spanish  ances- 
tors. The  abundance  of  native  crude  sugar,  almonds, 
cocoanuts  and  other  nuts,  affords  unlimited  opportunity 
for  sweetmeats,  while  the  delicious  fruits  provide  full 
scope  for  the  confectioner's  genius  in  the  way  of  sugared 
fruits.  And  yet,  strangely  enough,  any  Porto  Rican 
boy  or  girl  would  gladly  exchange  a  basketful  of  sweet- 


THE    MILKMAN. 


meats  and  cakes  of  Porto  Rican  manufacture  for  a  box 
of  American  candies,  even  if  the  latter  were  very  stale. 
Cakes  and  sweets  of  various  kinds  are  for  sale  at  all  times, 
and  the  children  are  nibbling  them  wherever  we  turn. 

As  in  most  tropical  countries,  poultry  is  sold  alive. 
Porto  Ricaris  would  view  with  horror  the  average 
American  poulterer's  display  of  what  to  them  would 
be  simply  "dead  fowl."  Men  go  about  from  house  to 


28  PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

house,  carrying  on  each  arm  a  dozen  live  chickens  tied 
together  in  pairs  and  suspended  by  the  feet.  Geese  and 
turkeys  for  sale  are  often  driven  through  the  streets  in 
flocks.  Their  progress  is  marked  by  many  amusing  in- 
cidents which  tend  to  confirm  the  Spanish  proverb  to  the 
effect  that  the  turkey  is  the  most  foolish  of  birds.  Our 
expression  "  as  silly  as  a  goose  "  would  be  considered  ac- 
cording to  Spanish  notions  an  unfair  reflection  on  this, 
in  their  opinion,  canny  bird.  If  night  overtakes  the 
turkeys  or  geese  before  they  have  reached  their  destina- 
tion, the  boy  or  girl  who  has  them  in  charge  is  left  in 
a  sad  predicament.  The  creatures  insist  upon  going  to 
roost  wherever  they  happen  to  be.  As  no  amount  of 
gentle  switching  with  the  long  bamboo  driving-rod 
moves  them  in  the  least,  the  unfortunate  person  in 
charge  is  compelled  to  make  the  best  of  the  situation 
and  "go  to  bed  with  the  chickens." 

Cigar  and  cigarette  sellers  are  very  numerous.  Often- 
times the  stock  in  trade  consists  of  a  single  box  of  cigars 
offered  at  the  entrance  to  post-office,  theater,  or  hotel,  by 
some  barefooted  negro  or  boy.  Sometimes  a  full  assort- 
ment is  displayed  from  the  top  of  a  common  soap-box 
mounted  on  a  child's  express-wagon. 

Not  only  can  fruit,  milk,  bread,  and  fowl  be  pur- 
chased at  one's  very  door,  but  dry  goods  are  trundled, 
often  by  the  owner  himself,  from  house  to  house  over 
the  shining  white  roads  around  San  Juan.  A  large 
variety  of  these  commodities,  from  silks  to  the  all-impor- 
tant mosquito  netting,  as  well  as  ribbons,  tapes,  and 
shoe  laces,  is  displa}^ed  temptingly  before  the  lazy  cus- 
tomer as  she  sits  comfortably  in  her  rocker  or  within  the 
cool  shade  of  her  veranda.  The  various  wares  are  car- 


30  PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

ried  patiently  back  and  forth  from  street  to  dwelling,  in 
case  the  occupant  is  unwilling  to  go  out  into  the  glare 
of  the  sun,  until  a  choice  is  made  and  satisfaction  se- 
cured. To  a  bystander,  haggling  over  prices  is  most 
amusing.  Buyer  and  seller  regard  each  other  for  the 
time  as  enemies,  and  prices  are  fixed  and  discussed 
accordingly.  To  the  Anglo-Saxon  visitor  the  curious 
part  of  it  all  is,  that  no  matter  how  close  the  bargaining, 
the  business  is  conducted  with  unfailing  politeness.  The 
salesman  is,  as  he  puts  it,  "  at  the  feet "  of  his  customer 
throughout  the  entire  transaction,  and  is  "  hers  to  com- 
mand "  at  the  close  as  at  the  beginning. 

One  of  the  principal  occupations  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  rural  districts  is  the  making  of  hats,  some  of  which 
equal  the  finest  Panamas.  Some  of  the  Porto  Rican 
hats  have  been  sold  at  wholesale  in  the  United  States  for 
as  much  as  twenty  dollars  apiece.  Many  of  the  better 
grades  of  these  hats  can  be  rolled  up  into  a  space  no 
larger  than  that  required  for  a  handkerchief,  and  they 
are  woven  so  fine  as  to  be  absolutely  waterproof. 
Cinches  and  bridles  are  made  from  the  same  material, 
and  it  amuses  the  Porto  Ricans  greatly  to  find  that 
American  girls  employ  the  latter  for  use  as  hatbands 
and  belts.  The  edge  of  many  of  the  hats  is  left  un- 
finished, the  ends  of  the  straw  projecting  eight  or  ten 
inches  beyond  the  weaving  —  the  effect  being  most 
picturesque.  The  hat  vender,  with  his  patient  little 
pony  almost  completely  hidden  by  the  pyramids  of 
hats  piled  around  him,  is  a  common  sight  in  both  the 
cities  and  the  smaller  towns.  The  pony's  size  is  so  in- 
creased by  his  load  of  hats  that  it  is  as  much  as  he  can 
do  to  make  his  way  through  some  of  the  narrow  streets. 


ODD   SIGHTS    IN    PORTO    RICO. 


31 


The  laundresses  carry  on  their  vocation  daily  at  every 
wayside  brook,  river,  and  stream.  Barefooted  and  bare- 
legged, with  skirts  tucked  up  well  out  of  reach  of  the 
water  in  which  they  stand  or  by  which  they  kneel,  they 
launder  the  clothing  after  the  most  primitive  fashion. 


HAT  SELLERS. 


The  American  housewife,  upon  viewing  the  dazzling 
whiteness  of  the  linen  returned  to  her  by  the  Porto 
Rican  laundress,  is  unable  to  comprehend  how  such  re- 
sults can  be  attained  with  no  better  appliances  than  cold 
water  and  soap.  The  explanation  lies  in  the  fact  that 
the  linen  is  washed  on  three  or  four  successive  days, 
receiving  each  time  a  vigorous  beating  with  a  small 


32 


PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 


wooden  paddle.  After  each  cleansing  the  clothes  are 
spread  upon  the  ground  to  bleach  for  hours  under  a 
tropical  sun.  After  the  third  or  fourth  washing  the 
linen  is  starched  and  then  dried  again. 


J 


NATIVE   LAUNDRY. 


The  week's  washing  and  ironing  completed,  the  laun- 
dress must  carry  home  the  finished  work.  The  smaller 
flat  and  unstarched  pieces  are  folded  carefully  and  piled 
up  in  the  middle  of  one  of  the  shallow  baskets  so  gener- 
ally used.  Around  these,  on  hooks  attached  to  the  sides 


ODD   SIGHTS    IN    PORTO   RICO.  33 

of  the  basket,  are  hung  the  starched  skirts,  aprons,  and 
other  garments  that  might  be  crushed  by  folding.  The 
basket  is  then  balanced  on  the  head,  the  laundress  herself 
being  concealed,  from  the  knees  up,  by  the  trophies  of  her 
skill.  Her  work  is  freely  complimented,  or  criticised, 
as  circumstances  may  warrant,  as  she  meets  other  laun- 
dresses of  her  acquaintance.  No  society  woman  could 
be  more  anxious  regarding  her  appearance  than  is  the 
Porto  Rican  laundress  for  herself  and  her  basket,  espe- 
cially the  latter, 'when  preparing  for  her  weekly  trium- 
phal march,  "carrying  home  the  wash." 

Every  Sunday  afternoon,  and  on  all  holidays,  we  are 
likely  to  meet,  on  any  of  the  suburban  roads,  processions 
of  curiously  uniformed  children  walking  sedately  hand 
in  hand,  led  and  followed  by  nuns,  or  by  priests,  should 
the  procession  be  made  up  of  boys.  These  are  the  chil- 
dren from  the  charity  schools,  taking  an  outing.  They 
range  in  age  from  midgets  who  can  barely  walk  to  youths 
or  girls  of  fifteen  years.  The  latter  wear  holland  or 
jean  pinafores,  and  the  boys  blouses  and  overalls.  The 
happy  disposition  of  the  islanders  is  once  more  ap- 
parent, as  these  processions,  so  pathetically  solemn  in 
Germany,  England,  and  France,  move  gayly  along,  the 
little  folks  talking  to  each  other  and  watching  with 
the  deepest  interest  the  sights  by  the  way.  Most  of  the 
children  are  learning  trades,  that  they  may  become  in 
future  years  useful  and  self-supporting  members  of  the 
community. 

Before  the  American  occupation  the  towns  and  cities 
swarmed  with  beggars,  whose  numbers  were  increased  by 
most  of  the  blind,  crippled,  or  otherwise  hopelessly  in- 
firm  portion  of  the  poor  people.  Some  of  these  have  been 


34 


PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 


placed  in  institutions  where  they  are  cared  for  in  a  far 
better  way  than  was  possible  when  they  were  entirely 
dependent  upon  the  charity  of  strangers.  Nevertheless, 
on  certain  days  of  the  week  set  apart  by  Spanish  tradi- 
tion for  the  giving  of  alms,  a  motley  collection  of  bat- 
tered human  wrecks  may  still  be 
seen  at  the  doors  and  gateways  of 
the  more  piously  inclined  among 
the  old  Spanish  families  in  San 
Juan,  and  even  at  the  shop  doors 
of  some  of  the  Spanish  merchants. 
At  the  stroke  of  twelve  the  cop- 
per coins  are  handed  out.  The 
donor,  generally  the  aged  master 
or  mistress  of  the  household, — 
although  the  task  is  sometimes 
handed  over  to  the  children, — 
moves  from  one  to  another  of  the 
group  of  beggars,  giving  with  the 
coins  kind  words  of  inquiry, 
counsel,  or  comfort.  Americans 
have  occasionally  wondered  at  the 
seeming  ingratitude  of  some  for- 
lorn cripple  who,  in  the  comfort 
of  a  newly  established  asylum, 
still  sighed  for  the  touch  of  human  sympathy  without 
which  he  could  not  be  happy.  All  beggars  are  answered 
with  kind  words  in  Porto  Rico,  the  traditional  reply 
when  aid  is  refused  being,  "Pardon  me,  brother,"  or 
"Pardon  me  to-day,  sister." 

Street  musicians  are  many,  the  favorite  instruments 
being  the  guitar,  the  mandolin,  and  the  bandurria.     The 


A    BEGGAR. 


ODD   SIGHTS    IN    PORTO    RICO.  35 

American  two-step  and  rag-time  music  are  becoming  very 
popular,  greatly  to  the  disgust  of  the  foreign  sojourners, 
who  enjoy  much  more  the  plaintive  minor  melodies  of 
the  island  or  those  gayer  airs  transported  from  Southern 
Spain. 

The  cockfighter  with  his  gamecock  under  his  arm,  his 
shears  suspended  about  his  neck,  and  on  the  lookout  for 
an  adversary,  is  fortunately  becoming  a  rare  figure,  since 
the  enforcement  of  the  stringent  rules  against  cock- 
fighting  instituted  by  the  American  government.  He 
and  his  equally  obnoxious  companions,  the  lottery-ticket 
seller  and  the  quack  doctor,  can  well  be  spared. 

Funeral  and  wedding  customs  among  the  poorer  classes 
in  San  Juan  are  curiously  unlike  those  existing  in  the 
United  States.  In  the  former,  interments  are  made 
usually  within  twenty-four  hours  after  death,  and  one 
often  sees  the  rough  pine  boxes,  painted  black  inside 
and  out  and  marked  with  a  white  cross  on  the  lid,  being 
carried  home  from  the  carpenter's  shop  where  they  were 
rudely  and  hastily  put  together.  These  coffins  are  en- 
tirely unlined  and  cost  about  a  dollar  each.  A  niche  in 
the  great  wall  of  the  cemetery  is  rented  for  six  months  or 
a  year,  where  the  coffin  is  laid  by  the  mourners,  who  fol- 
low the  bearers  on  foot.  At  the  close  of  the  rented  period 
the  remains  are  thrown  into  a  common  receiving-vault, 
with  the  bones  of  many  others  there  before  them.  There 
are  no  religious  ceremonies  of  any  kind  at  the  grave, 
except  where  the  deceased  has  been  a  member  of  some 
fraternal  or  political  society,  when  funeral  orations  of  a 
more  or  less  flowery  character  are  delivered. 

The  death  of  young  children,  especially  in  the  country 
districts,  was  formerly,  and  is  still,  to  some  extent,  made 


36  PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

the  occasion  of  feasting  and  even  merriment,  with  the 
accompaniments  of  singing  and  dancing.  "The  little 
angel,"  as  they  consider  the  child  to  be,  is  laid,  in  its  best 
frock  and  with  a  crown  of  flowers,  before  a  species  of 
rude  altar  made  of  rough  boards  and  adorned  with  fresh 
flowers.  Lighted  candles  and  tinsel  decorate  the  center 
of  the  room  in  which  the  feasting  is  going  on.  The 
mother,  with  eyes  swollen  from  much  weeping,  makes 
pathetic  attempts  to  smile  a  welcome  on  the  guests  who 
come  to  celebrate  the  entrance  of  "  the  little  angel " 
into  a  better  world. 

A  far  more  pleasant  sight  is  the  country  wedding. 
Away  back  in  the  mountain  districts  of  the  coffee 
region,  previous  to  the  American  occupation,  weddings 
were  of  the  quaintest  simplicity.  Very  seldom  did 
either  of  the  contracting  parties  possess  suitable  gar- 
ments, or  the  money  to  purchase  them.  The  alcalde, 
or  village  mayor,  with  kindly  foresight  and  at  the  same 
time  a  keen  eye  for  business,  was  ready  to  loan  the  bride 
and  groom  clothing  so  old-fashioned  and  ill-fitting,  that 
it  would  be  hard  to  find  it  equaled,  even  in  a  grand- 
mother's garret.  Thus  arrayed,  the  pair  proceeded  to 
the  alcalde's  office,  where  the  civil  marriage  service  was 
performed.  Then  came  the  religious  ceremony  at  the 
hands  of  the  village  priest,  after  which  the  pair  mounted 
an  ox-cart,  and  accompanied  by  neighbors  and  friends, 
whose  numbers  were  continually  increasing,  they  rode 
in  state  to  their  new  home. 

Porto  Rican  country  people  have  never  heard  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  custom  of  throwing  rice  at  a  newly  mar- 
ried couple,  but  they  see  to  it  that  the  bridal  procession 
is  sufficiently  heralded.  The  pins  of  the  solid  wooden 


THE    PEOPLE  — THEIR    HOME    LIFE.  37 

wheels  of  the  ox  cart  are  intentionally  so  tightened  that 
the  ordinary  squeaking  is  increased  until  the  noise  is 
quite  sufficient  to  inform  everybody  within  hearing  of 
the  joyous  event. 

This  and  many  other  quaint  customs  are  rapidly  dis- 
appearing under  the  more  practical  if  less  picturesque 
rule  of  the  United  States.  The  alcalde  is  already 
replaced  by  the  more  businesslike  municipal  judge ; 
"  store  "  clothes  are  appearing  in  the  most  unexpected 
quarters;  the  clang  of  the  electric  car  in  places  dulls 
even  now  the  creaking  of  the  ox  cart ;  and  the  Ameri- 
can sewing-machine,  bicycle,  refrigerator,  and  cooking- 
stove  can  be  confidently  relied  upon  to  complete  the 
social  revolution. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  PEOPLE  — THEIR    HOME   LIFE. 

THE  homes  of  the  well-to-do  people  of  the  island  are 
very  comfortable.  In  many  cities  of  the  United  States 
buildings  are  constructed  with  shops  on  the  ground  floor 
and  apartments  above.  This  is  a  very  common  arrange- 
ment in  Porto  Rico,  especially  in  San  Juan,  the  first 
floor  being  used  for  shops,  a  family  living  on  the  second. 
At  Mayaguez  there  are  fine  dwellings  with  broad,  invit- 
ing verandas. 

Many  of  the  prosperous  merchants  of  San  Juan  live 
at  Santurce,  three  miles  from  the  city.  This  charming 


38  PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

suburb  contains  many  beautiful  homes  surrounded  by 
large  and  attractive  gardens.  The  long  double  windows 
of  the  houses  reach  to  the  floor,  and  usually  stand  wide 
open,  to  let  in  all  the  breezes  that  may  blow  in  that 
warm  climate. 

Within  the  house  there  is  an  air  of  contentment,  but 
all  is  simple  and  plain.  The  floors  are  bare,  save  for  an 
occasional  rug  or  a  bit  of  matting.  There  is  no  uphol- 
stered furniture  —  nothing  more  luxurious  than  cane- 
seated  settees,  sofas,  and  chairs.  Rocking-chairs  are 
very  popular.  Few  pictures  adorn  the  walls,  though 
some  steel  engravings  may  be  found,  and  now  and  then 
a  good  oil  painting.  Every  parlor  has  in  the  center  a 
marble-topped  table,  usually  of  mahogany,  with  carved 
legs.  The  chairs  are  of  smooth  wood  bent  into  grace- 
ful shapes  and  always  painted  black.  Plants,  artificial 
flowers,  crocheted  tidies,  porcelain  vases,  lace  curtains, 
and  a  glass  lamp  or  chandelier  complete  the  outfit  of 
the  "  best  room  "  in  the  Porto  Rican  home  of  the  better 
sort. 

The  home  life  is  as  simple  as  the  house.  The  Porto 
Rican  begins  his  day  by  drinking  a  cup  .of  coffee  with 
milk  and  sugar,  at  about  seven  or  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Breakfast  is  served  at  eleven,  and  consists 
of  a  light  repast  of  soup,  boiled  eggs,  rice,  fried  bananas, 
bread  and  coffee.  Dinner,  at  six  or  seven  in  the  even- 
ing, is  the  important  meal  of  the  day.  At  this  time  all 
the  members  of  the  family  come  together,  ready  to  enjoy 
one  another's  company.  The  dinner  consists  of  soup, 
meat,  a  salad,  plenty  of  vegetables,  fruits  and  sweets, 
and  the  meal  winds  up  with  the  all-important  cup  of 
coffee. 


THE    PEOPLE— THEIR    HOME    LIFE. 


39 


The  vast  majority  of  the  people  of  the  island  live  in 
the  country.  To  know  Porto  Rico  well  we  must  know 
its  peasants.  We  must  break  away  from  the  cities  and 
visit  the  rural  districts ;  we  must  tarry  in  the  villages 
and  hamlets ;  we  must  enter  the  dwellings  of  the  peons, 
or  field  laborers,  and  see  how  they  live.  Nothing  reveals 


WAYFARERS. 

the  life  of  any  man  so  clearly  as  the  place  he  calls  his 
home.     There  is  an  old  poem  which  says : 

"  If  happiness  we  prize. 
Within  our  breast  this  jewel  lies, 

And  they  are  fools  who  roam. 
The  world  has  nothing  to  bestow  : 
From  our  own  selves  our  joy  must  flow, 

And  that  dear  hut,  our  home." 


40  PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND    OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

The  home  of  the  peon,  if  home  it  can  be  called,  is  a 
rude  hut  or  "shack."  Its  rough  frame  is  built  of  poles 
lashed  together,  covered  with  bark,  and  roofed  with  palm 
leaves  or  a  thatch  of  leaves  from  the  sugar-cane.  There 
are  never  more  than  two  or  three  rooms.  The  floor  is 
uneven  and  unsteady.  The  walls  are  neither  papered, 
plastered,  nor  sheathed,  but  the  rough  poles  of  the  frame- 
work are  exposed  to  view.  As  there  is  no  winter  in 
Porto  Rico  the  windows  need  no  sashes,  and  no  fuel  is 
required  to  keep  the  body  warm.  All  that  is  necessary 
is  a  shelter  from  the  wind,  the  rain,  and  the  burning 
sun. 

The  peon's  hut  boasts  very  little  furniture.  A  ham- 
mock, a  bunk,  or  a  pile  of  palm  branches  serves  for  a 
bed,  a  couple  of  boxes  for  chairs.  Very  seldom  do  we 
find  a  table.  An  iron  kettle  or  earthen  pot  is  the  only 
kitchen  utensil,  and  for  cooking  this  is  placed  over  burn- 
ing charcoal  or  bits  of  kindling-wood.  When  the  weather 
is  favorable  the  necessary  cooking  is  done  out-of-doors. 
On  rainy  days,  when  the  food  must  be  cooked  within,  the 
house  is  filled  with  a  damp,  suffocating  smoke  which 
clings  to  everything  and  cannot  be  driven  out. 

The  prepared  dishes  of  the  poor  are  rice,  powdered 
and  curried,  corn  meal,  and  coffee.  The  people  are  very 
fond  of  salt  fish.  Fresh  and  cooked  fruits,  such  as 
bananas  and  plantains,  are  eaten  in  large  quantities. 

The  dishes  are  made  of  gourds.  Cups,  and  even 
ladles  and  spoons,  are  among  the  gourd  dishes  in  com- 
mon use.  A  fierce-looking  instrument  called  a  machete 
(pronounced  ma-cha/ta)  serves  as  a  chopping  and  carv- 
ing knife.  Fingers  are  used  instead  of  forks. 

United  States  Commissioner  Carroll  writes  of  a  visit 


THE   PEOPLE  — THEIR    HOME    LIFE. 


41 


he  made  to  the  poor  quarters  of  Arecibo.  He  found 
the  houses  built  of  old  boxes  or  short  boards,  evidently 
picked  up  wherever  they  could  be  found.  The  dwellings 
stood  near  together  in  rows,  with  alleys  or  very  narrow 
streets  between.  In  one  house  he  saw  a  man  and  his  wife 
sitting  on  the  floor  and  eating  their  noonday  meal  from  a 
single  dish.  A  naked  child  stood  in  the  rear  room,  cry- 
ing. There  was  neither  chair  nor  table,  and  only  one 


NATIVE    HUTS. 


small  wooden  stool.  The  roof  was  full  of  holes.  Some 
of  the  houses  in  the  neighborhood  were  a  little  better, 
but  poverty  was  everywhere  evident.  And  yet  the  peo- 
ple did  not  seem  unhappy  ;  they  were  probably  contented, 
because  they  knew  no  other  kind  of  life. 

The  peon  is  up  before  daylight.  He  takes  his  bit  of 
codfish  and  rice  and  starts  off  to  his  day's  labor.  In 
many  cases  he  must  walk  three  miles  to  his  employer's 


42 


PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 


cane  field  and  be  ready  to  begin  work  at  sunrise.  He 
toils  the  long  day  through,  save  for  a  short  hour's  rest 
at  noon,  arid  not  until  the  twilight  is  deepening  into 
darkness  does  he  make  his  homeward  journey.  For  his 


WINNOWING    RICE. 


day's  work  he  is  paid  about  forty  cents,  receiving  his 
wages  at  the  end  of  the  week.  Out  of  this  meager  sum 
he  buys  his  codfish,  a  little  clothing,  and  a  few  other 
absolute  necessities  for  his  family.  Whatever  is  left  he 
devotes  to  personal  ends,  rarely  laying  anything  aside. 
The  clothing  of  the  poor  people  is  cheap  and  scanty. 
Many  little  children  go  naked.  Of  the  950,000  inhabitants 
of  the  island  only  about  200,000  wear  shoes.  Of  these 


THE   PEOPLE  — THEIR    HOME    LIFE. 


43 


50,000  have  only  one  pair  a  year.  Among  Porto  Rico's 
needs,  shoes  stand  next  to  good  food.  When  the  social 
condition  of  the  people  is  improved  these  material  bless- 
ings will  be  demanded.  With  the  requirements  of  the 
body  supplied,  the  desire  will  come  for  plaster  on  the 
walls,  chairs,  pictures,  books,  flowers,  and  many  other 
things  that  add  to  the  comfort  of  life. 

The  Porto  Ricans  are  a  courteous  and  gentle  people. 
Their  kindness  to  strangers  is  very  marked.     If  a  favor 


ANOTHER   TYPE  OF   HUT. 


is  requested,  we  may  be  sure  that  it  will  be  granted 
willingly.  If  we  ask  the  way  to  a  certain  place,  our 
informant  will  go  the  whole  distance,  if  need  be,  that 
we  may  be  sure  to  take  exactly  the  right  direction.  A 


44 


PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 


writer  of  a  century  ago  said  that  the  Porto  Ricans  were 
"hospitable  to  strangers."  They  certainly  are  so  to-day. 
Dr.  Carroll  classifies  the  people  of  the  island  according 
to  the  three  colors,  white,  gray,  and  brown.  The  first 
class,  the  white,  comprise  the  largest  number,  nearly 


A  GROUP  OF    NEGROES. 


590,000  people,  according  to  the  last  census.  Many  of 
these  are  well-to-do — the  owners  of  the  great  sugar  and 
coffee  plantations,  or  merchants  of  the  larger  cities  and 
towns.  A  majority  of  them,  chiefly  in  the  interior,  are, 
however,  of  the  working  class.  They  toil  in  the  fields, 
planting,  cultivating,  and  harvesting  the  coffee  and 
sugar-cane. 


THE   PEOPLE:    THEIR    HOME    LIFE.  45 

The  gray  represent  the  inhabitants  of  mixed  blood, 
often  called  mulattoes.  They  are  more  than  300,000  in 
number.  They  are  darker  than  the  white  people,  and 
yet  in  many  cases  it  is  hard  to  distinguish  the  color-line. 
They  work  in  the  fields,  act  as  house  servants  in  the  cities, 
or  have  their  own  little  gardens  of  vegetables  and  fruits, 
from  which  they  gather  just  enough  to  enable  them  to 
keep  body  and  soul  together. 

The  brown,  or,  as  we  say  in  our  country,  the  black, 
are  the  negroes,  who  number  about  59,000.  They  live 
principally  along  the  coast.  This  is  largely  due  to  the 
fact  that  they  do  not  suffer  from  the  heat,  while  the 
bracing  air  of  the  mountains  is  too  cool  for  them.  They 
work  in  the  cane  fields,  or  are  employed  in  loading  and 
unloading  the  ships  that  enter  San  Juan,  Mayaguez, 
Arecibo,  or  Ponce. 

There  are  seventy-five  Chinese  in  the  island.  In- 
cluding these,  the  entire  population  numbers  953,200. 
This  is  nine-tenths  as  large  as  the  population  of  Mary- 
land. During  the  last  ten  years  Porto  Rico  has  grown 
as  rapidly  as  have  Ohio  and  Tennessee. 

It  is  said  that  if  you  scratch  a  Porto  Rican  you  will 
find  a  Spaniard  underneath  the  skin.  The  people  have 
spoken  the  Spanish  language  ever  since  Columbus's 
day,  and  the  customs  of  the  island  are  similar  to  those 
of  Spain. 

As  in  the  mother  country,  the  women  of  the  higher 
class  live  to  some  extent  in  seclusion.  The  people  are 
excitable,  fond  of  amusements,  and  they  read  very  little. 
In  these  respects  the  Porto  Rican  of  to-day  resembles 
the  Spaniard  of  four  hundred  years  ago. 

The  ancestors  of  many  of  the  Porto  Ricans  came  from 


46  PORTO    RICO  :   THE   LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

Andalusia.  This  province  bears  a  relation  to  the  other 
provinces  of  Spain  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  Ireland 
to  Great  Britain.  Like  the  Irish,  the  Andalusians  are 
bright,  witty,  rather  quick-tempered,  perhaps,  but  never 
holding  a  grudge. 

A  similar  temperament  is  characteristic  of  the  people 
of  Porto  Rico.  Although  the  blood  of  different  classes 
mingles  freely  in  their  veins,  they  have  never  been  a  re- 
bellious or  a  warlike,  people.  No  general  insurrection 
has  ever  occurred  in  the  island.  If  any  criticism  can  be 
brought  to  bear  upon  them,  it  is  that  they  have  been 
too  submissive  and  long-suffering  under  Spanish  rule. 
They  have  never  shown  a  warlike  spirit  towards  the 
people  of  other  islands,  and  they  are,  on  the  whole, 
orderly  and  docile,  peaceable,  industrious,  considerate 
of  one  another's  welfare. 

They  are  anxious  to  become  American  citizens  and  to 
acquire  American  ways.  The}^  have  long  considered 
the  United  States  another  name  for  fidelity,  humanity, 
and  brotherly  love.  They  are,  as  Dr.  Carroll  says,  good 
material  out  of  which  to  make  steady  and  trusty  Ameri- 
can citizens. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  PEOPLE— THEIR  RECREATIONS. 

IT  is  said  that  a  noted  musician  in  ancient  Greece  was 
severely  punished  by  the  Spartans  for  adding  a  twelfth 
string  to  the  harp.  His  fellow-citizens  were  afraid  that 
too  great  fondness  for  music  would  make  the  people 


48  PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

weak.  The  feeling  in  regard  to  music  has  entirely 
changed  since  Sparta's  day.  In  modern  times  the  appre- 
ciation of  music  is  considered  a  great  advantage,  and 
nations  especially  musical,  like  Germany  and  Italy,  are 
regarded  as  superior  to  those  which  care  little  for  the 
art  of  sound.  Porto  Rico's  love  of  music  is,  then,  one 
of  the  many  points  in  her  favor.  As  a  rule,  the  people 
have  good  voices,  and  sing  with  pleasing  effect,  alone 
and  in  chorus.  Every  city,  every  town,  and  every  little 
hamlet  supports  its  band  of  musicians.  Concerts  are 
given  twice  a  week  in  every  important  plaza  throughout 
the  island.  All  the  people  attend  these  concerts  ;  they 
promenade  back  and  forth  for  two  joyous  hours,  clad  in 
their  best,  chatting  to  each  other,  listening  meanwhile  to 
the  music.  There  are  many  Creoles  in  the  island,  natives 
who  have  in  their  veins  French  and  Spanish  blood ;  a 
fact  which  may  partly  account  for  the  reputation  it  has 
for  good  singing. 

A  group  of  guitar  and  mandolin  players  on  the  street 
corner  is  a  daily  sight  in  cities  like  Ponce  and  San  Juan. 
Towards  evening,  when  the  work  of  the  day  is  done, 
many  voices  may  be  heard  singing  merrily,  now  a  clear 
tenor  or  soprano  alone,  or  again  a  chorus,  joining 
heartily  in  a  Spanish  serenade.  One  often  hears,  from 
some  unknown  quarter,  the  national  air,  "  Borinquen," 
which  proclaims  the  beauty  of  the  isle.  Though  really 
patriotic  songs  are  rarely  heard,  a  true  love  of  country 
exists  among  the  people,  and  is  sure  to  be  developed  in 
the  course  of  time. 

Usually  the  music  is  rather  minor  in  character.  On 
a  bare  patch  in  front  of  a  rude  hut,  by  the  light  of  a 
flickering  torch,  a  group  of  dancers  may  often  be  seen. 


THE    PEOPLE  — THEIR   RECREATIONS. 


49 


The  step  is  slow  and  measured,  the  feet  keeping  time  to 
the  music  of  a  guitar  which  is  playing  sad  and  dreamy 
airs. 

The  fondness  for  amusement  is  apparent  everywhere. 
Unfortunately,  the  desire  of  the  people  for  recreation 
leads  them  into  some  very  injurious  pastimes.  The  Porto 
Ricans  are  addicted  to  all  sorts  of  games  of  chance. 


A    ROADSIDE    ORCHESTRA. 


Gambling  is  not  an  uncommon  habit.  The  desire  to 
make  a  show,  to  dress  well,  and  to  live  well  leads  some 
people  to  become  professional  gamblers. 

Cockfighting  is  the  national  sport.  This  degrading 
amusement  is  quite  universal  in  the  island.  Every 
town  has  connected  with  it  a  cockpit.  The  principal 
day  for  this  amusement  is  Sunday.  After  attending 
service  in  the  church  the  people  go  from  the  church 


50  PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF  THE    RICH    PORT. 

doors  directly  to  the  cock  mains.  It  is  a  motley  com- 
pany of  men  and  boys ;  some  on  cantering  ponies,  but 
more  on  foot;  some  with  their  cocks  in  baskets,  more 
with  the  birds  under  their  arms.  A  dozen  cocks  tied  to 
stakes  in  the  sidewalk  is  a  familiar  sight.  They  have 
been  clipped  about  the  head,  they  are  well  groomed, 
their  spurs  have  been  polished,  and  they  are  ready  for 
the  fray.  The  money  that  is  lost  and  won  in  this  bru- 
talizing sport  would  go  far  to  keep  the  families  of  the 
participants  in  food  and  clothing. 

Bullfighting  has  never  flourished  in  the  island.  In 
strong  contrast  to  the  other  Spanish  countries,  it  is  rarely 
indulged  in,  and  is  the  diversion  only  of  the  well-to-do. 
Cockfighting,  on  the  other  hand,  comes  within  reach  of 
the  common  toiler,  upon  whom  it  is  most  degrading  in 
its  influence.  Generation  after  generation  of  boys  and 
young  men  —  women  have  no  part  in  the  sport  —  grow 
up  with  a  passion  for  the  disgusting  amusement.  It 
does  not  seem  to  have  occurred  to  the  people  that  it  is 
either  brutal  or  debasing.  As  was  to  be  expected,  one 
of  the  first  things  the  United  States  did  after  taking 
possession  of  the  island  was  to  prohibit  cockfighting.  It 
is  to  be  hoped  that  in  coming  years  the  sport  will  be  en- 
tirely banished. 

The  festivals  of  the  church  are  national  gala  days. 
Especially  is  this  true  of  St.  John's  Eve,  June  27,  and 
the  days  preceding.  The  festivities  of  the  midsummer 
time  last  for  more  than  two  weeks,  a  special  programme 
being  arranged  for  each  day  and  evening.  In  prepara- 
tion for  the  great  parade,  to  be  held  on  the  day  specially 
devoted  to  the  patron  saint  of  San  Juan,  hundreds  of 
people  bring  their  horses  to  the  city.  At  ten  o'clock  on 


THE   PEOPLE  — THEIR   RECREATIONS.  51 

the  morning  of  the  appointed  day  a  procession  of  men, 
women  and  children  on  horseback,  all  in  fantastic  dress, 
passes  through  the  streets.  Flags  are  waved,  and  ban- 
ners swing  in  the  breeze.  Social  distinctions  are  forgot- 
ten. The  air  is  filled  with  pellets  of  lime  and  plaster, 
called  confetti,  and  there  is  continuous  applause. 

The  procession  makes  its  way  to  the  government 
house,  where  a  burlesque  proclamation  is  read  by  the 
chief  man  of  the  crowd.  The  more  nonsense  this  an- 
nouncement contains,  the  more  the  people  shout  and 
cheer.  Then  the  "  Merry  Maskers  "  appear  and  try  to 
deceive  their  friends  as  to  who  they  are.  The  authorities 
publish  a  decree  requiring  order,  but  no  one  takes  any 
notice  of  it.  Those  who  do  not  wholly  disguise  them- 
selves appear  on  the  street  in  fancy  costume. 

At  night  bonfires  are  kindled  on  the  corners  of  the 
streets.  It  is  a  time  for  all  kinds  of  jokes.  Men  and 
boys  on  horseback  make  fun  of  those  who  cannot  or  do 
not  ride,  and  they  are  answered  in  similar  vein.  For 
three  days  all  the  houses  are  thrown  open.  Lemonade 
and  other  refreshing  drinks  are  offered  to  all  who  are 
thirsty.  People  with  masks  and  without  enter  freely 
into  these  open  houses,  but  no  property  is  ever  disturbed. 

In  connection  with  the  St.  John  festival  is  held  that 
most  beautiful  entertainment,  known  as  the  Feast  of 
Flowers.  This  comes  to  the  island  from  the  Europe  of 
mediaeval  times,  and  very  probably  it  might  be  traced 
even  farther  back,  to  the  days  of  ancient  Greece. 

At  one  of  the  Greek  festivals  a  poetical  contest  was 
always  held,  and  the  victor  was  crowned  with  a  laurel 
wreath,  the  highest  honor  that  any  Greek  could  attain. 
The  contest  at  the  Porto  Rican  Feast  of  Flowers  is 


52 


PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 


somewhat  similar.  A  month  or  two  before  the  appointed 
day  a  committee  chosen  for  that  purpose  announces  the 
subjects  upon  which  poems  may  be  written.  The  con- 
test is  open  to  any  one  in  the  island,  the  poems  to  be 


THE    PICKANINNIES'    DINNER    PARTY. 

written  in  Spanish.     In  1901  the  three  topics  selected 
were  Country,  Woman,  and  Love. 

The  successful  rhymes  are  printed  in  all  the  papers 
and  are  read  aloud  on  the  festal  day,  and  to  their 
writers  prizes  are  given.  To  the  writer  of  the  finest 
poem  of  all  is  presented  a  natural  rose.  The  lady  upon 
whom  he  bestows  this  rose  becomes  queen  of  the  feast. 


THE   PEOPLE  — THEIR   RECREATIONS.  53 

She  sits  upon  a  flowery  throne  from  which  she  dis- 
tributes all  other  prizes.  Her  commands  are  implicitly 
obeyed,  and  she  is  for  one  day  a  genuine  Queen  of  the 
Flowers.  The  prize  awarded  for  the  second  best  poem 
is  a  rose  of  gold ;  the  third  in  rank  is  rewarded  with  a 
rose  of  silver.  The  Flower  Feast  is  the  most  charming 
occasion  of  the  St.  John  carnival,  even  though  it  may 
lack  the  boisterousness  of  the  midsummer  day's  revels. 

St.  Peter's  Day  and  carnival  bring  their  own  festiv- 
ities. Dressed  in  grotesque  fashion,  people  go  from 
house  to  house,  filling  the  air  with  music  of  a  more  or 
less  absurd  character.  Masked  balls  are  given.  Ridicule 
of  everybody  and  everything  is  regarded  as  allowable. 
The  man  who  plays  the  fool,  and  is  the  best  clown,  is 
most  in  demand  at  these  festival  times. 

The  negroes  are  very  boisterous  in  their  antics.  They 
romp  and  caper  and  contort  their  bodies  into  all  sorts  of 
shapes.  The  "  cake  walk  "  is  a  mild  performance  com- 
pared with  the  pranks  of  these  people.  Their  gayety 
lasts  for  several  days,  and  ceases  only  when  the  par- 
ticipants have  exhausted  all  new  forms  of  amusement 
and  are  completely  tired  out. 

The  people  of  Porto  Rico  are  especially  partial  to  the 
drama  ;  nearly  every  town  has  its  theater.  Sunday  is 
the  great  holiday.  After  the  morning  service  is  over 
the  rest  of  the  day  is  given  to  amusement,  and  all  kinds 
of  pastimes  are  indulged  in. 

Vigorous  out-of-door  sports  and  games,  such  as  base- 
ball, which  the  boys  of  the  United  States  are  accus- 
tomed to  play,  were  formerly  unknown  in  Porto  Rico. 
Since  the  American  occupation,  however,  this  game 
has  become  very  popular  with  the  islanders,  in  spite  of 


54  PORTO    RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

the  warm,  enervating  climate.  In  heat  such  that  no 
American  boy  would  think  he  could  do  anything  re- 
quiring more  active  exercise  than  "playing  knife,"  a 
group  of  Porto  Rican  j^outh  may  now-a-days  often  be 
seen  wholly  engrossed  in  a  game  of  baseball.  It  speaks 
well  for  the  future  of  the  island  that  her  young  men 
are  so  deeply  interested  in  this  invigorating  form  of 
athletics.  Like  the  youth  of  other  countries,  they  are 
much  in  need  of  such  sports  to  aid  in  better  physical 
development. 

The  children  of  the  island  have  few  games.  When  at 
play  they  skip  aimlessly  about  with  no  apparent  plan. 
Few  of  them  have  heard  of  such  common  games  as 
leapfrog  and  hide-and-seek.  Many  of  the  children  of 
the  poorer  classes  have  hardly  even  seen  a  doll.  The 
simple  materials  supplied  by  the  Insular  govern- 
ment in  connection  with  school  work,  such  as  pencils, 
rulers  and  blackboard  crayons,  have  for  these  little 
folks  very  great  attraction.  That  learning  to  write 
should  be  a  pleasure,  because  of  the  novelty  of  marking 
with  a  lead  pencil,  is  something  that  the  child  of  the 
United  States,  who  has  played  with  pencil  and  paper 
ever  since  he  can  remember,  is  hardly  able  to  com- 
prehend. 


CHAPTER   V. 

MOUNTAINS,   PLAINS,   AND   CAVES. 

THE  mountains  with  which  we  are  most  familiar  are 
elevations  of  soil  or  rock  upon  the  land,  where  they  serve 
numerous  uses  to  mankind.  They  mark  boundaries  be- 


MOUNTAINS,   PLAINS,   AND   CAVES.  55 

tween  countries,  they  influence  climate,  they  cause  rain- 
fall. Among  them  rivers  rise,  and  out  of  them  metals 
are  brought.  We  measure  their  height  in  feet  above  the 
sea  level. 

There  are  lofty  mountains  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  also.  They  may  be  single  peaks  or  mountain  ranges, 
and  often  between  them  are  deep  valleys.  The  islands 
forming  the  West  Indies  are  the  fertile  uplands  of  a  long 
mountain  range  rising  from  the  depths  of  the  ocean. 

Some  of  the  submarine  mountains  are  higher  than 
any  mountains  we  have  upon  the  land.  The  average 
elevation  of  the  Himalayas  is  about  18,000  feet.  The 
highest  single  mountain  in  Europe,  Mont  Blanc,  is 
15,782  feet,  while  some  of  the  mountains  forming  the 
West  Indies  are  27,000  feet  from  submarine  base  to 
summit.  Asia  is  the  only  continent  with  mountain  peaks 
that  can  surpass  them.  Mount  Everest,  towering  to  the 
magnificent  height  of  29,000  feet,  eclipses  the  mountains 
of  the  tropical  West  Indies,  hidden,  as  their  bases  are, 
25,000  feet  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ocean. 

A  little  to  the  north  of  Porto  Rico  lies  a  vast  ocean 
valley.  It  is  known  as  Bronson's  Deep,  and  until  recently 
was  supposed  to  be  the  lowest  point  on  the  earth's  sur- 
face. Soundings  have  been  made  to  a  depth  of  more 
than  five  miles.  In  other  words,  if  a  giant  could  take 
Pike's  Peak  from  Colorado  and  throw  it  into  Bronson's 
Deep,  there  would  still  be  room  for  Mount  Washington 
and  several  smaller  hills  on  top. 

What  stately  mountain  peaks  must  lie  below  the  blue 
surface  of  the  Atlantic  along  the  course  of  the  submarine 
ranges  !  What  Alpine  steeps !  What  precipices  and  nat- 
ural walls !  The  wonders  of  mountain  scenery  below  the 


56  PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

surface  of  the  sea  recall  to  our  minds  the  question  of  the 
Almighty :  "  Hast  thou  entered  into  the  springs  of  the 
sea  ?  Or  hast  thou  walked  in  the  recesses  of  the  deep  ?  " 


A    SHARP   TURN    ON    THE    MOUNTAIN    SIDE    NEAR    GUAYAMA. 

Compared  with  the  great  mountain  called  Porto  Rico, 
the  mountains  on  the  island  itself  —  which  are  really 
the  very  tallest  peaks  of  the  large  ocean  mountain  — 
seem  small.  Several  of  them  are  actually,  however,  of 


MOUNTAINS,    PLAINS,   AND   CAVES.  57 

considerable  height.  El  Yunque  is  3609  feet  above 
sea  level.  These  mountains  are  made  up  of  volcanic 
rock  and  are  surrounded  by  a  narrow  belt  of  limestone 
hills.  From  a  distance  they  resemble  in  appearance 
the  Green  Mountains  of  Vermont,  although  they  are 
not  so  high.  Mount  Mansfield,  the  highest  peak  of  the 
Green  Mountains,  is  a  thousand  feet  higher  than  El 
Yunque. 

The  long  mountain  range  extending  across  the  island 
is  called  a  cordillera,  a  name  which  is  given  to  any  con- 
tinuous and  unbroken  range.  The  main  chain  of  peaks 
extends  from  Mayaguez,  on  the  west,  through  the  upland 
regions  of  Adjuntas,  to  Aibonito,  the  highest  town  on 
the  military  road.  From  Aibonito  westward,  the  range 
is  called  the  Central  Cordillera;  east  of  Aibonito,  the 
Sierra  de  Cayey. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  island  a  second  range  branches 
(ff  from  the  main  cordillera,  and  running  in  a  southeast- 
erly direction  forms  two  mountain  chains  in  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  island.  The  northern  extension  of  this 
range,  the  Sierra  Luquillo,  extends  from  near  Caguas 
to  the  northeast  coast  of  the  island.  Other  mountains 
worthy  of  note  are  El  Asomante,  near  Aibonito  ;  Cerro 
de  Guilarte  and  Las  Sillas  de  Calderon,  near  Adjuntas  ; 
Las  Tetas  de  Cerro  Gordo,  in  San  German  ;  and  Cerro 
Montuoso,  near  Mayaguez. 

On  the  north  coast  is  a  series  of  hills  called  by  the 
islanders  "  pepinos "  or  cucumbers.  They  rise  to  a 
height  of  about  twelve  hundred  feet ;  they  are  sharp 
and,  in  some  cases,  flattened  at  the  summit  ;  and  thus 
they  bear  a  fanciful  resemblance  to  cucumbers. 

Porto  Rico  is  so  small  an  island  that  the  rivers  rising 


58  PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

high  up  in  the  mountains  flow  to  the  sea  swiftly,  and  with 
great  force.  As  they  rush  down  they  carry  with  them 
soil  from  the  mountain  sides.  This  soil  is  left  near  the 
coast  as  fan-shaped  deposits  called  "  playa  plains."  The 
handle  of  the  fan  extends  towards  the  mountains,  the 
broad,  open  portion  towards  the  sea.  These  playa,  or 
coast  plains,  stand  only  a  few  feet  above  ocean  level. 
Several  of  the  Porto  Rican  cities  are  built  on  the  inner 
border  of  the  playa  plains.  Similar  land  formations  are 
found  in  Texas,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico.  In  these 
sections  they  are  produced  by  evaporation  in  the  broad 
level  plains,  where  water  has  collected  after  severe  rains. 
Ponce  is  situated  on  one  of  the  most  noted  playa  plains, 
its  port  being  known  as  the  Playa  of  Ponce.  At  first 
sight  these  plains  look  like  deserts,  the  limestone  surface 
extending  in  long  unbroken  tracts,  in  striking  contrast 
to  the  luxuriant  hills  beyond. 

Between  the  foothills  and  the  central  ranges  of 'moun- 
tains are  "  parting- valleys."  As  the  rivers  make  their 
way  from  the  interior,  they  wear  away  broad  channels  and 
form  these  long  valleys.  Indian  corn  is  grown  with  great 
success  in  the  valley  soil.  The  lagoon  of  Guanica  is  in 
one  of  the  parting-valleys.  It  lies  between  the  cerros  and 
the  hills  which  separate  it  from  the  sea. 

Mr.  R.  T.  Hill,  of  the  United  States  Geological  Sur- 
vey, who  has  made  a  thorough  study  of  the  physical 
features  of  Porto  Rico,  finds  no  signs  of  recent  volcanic 
action.  He  says  that  there  are  no  craters,  and  that  no  belt 
of  lava  is  exposed  to  view.  Still,  as  the  mountains  are 
made  up  of  volcanic  rock  and  show  signs  of  volcanic  up- 
heavals, there  must  have  been  active  volcanoes  on  the 
island  some  time  in  the  past. 


60  PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

Once  upon  a  time,  long  ages  ago,  the  scientists  think, 
the  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Caribbean  Sea  was  much 
higher  than  it  is  to-day.  It  is  believed  that  all  the  way 
from  Florida  to  the  mainland  of  South  America  there 
was  a  solid  body  of  land.  Probably  there  was  no 
Isthmus  of  Panama  in  those  days,  but  the  waters  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean  washed  the  western  side  of  this  connect- 
ing body  of  land.  Later,  the  land  subsided,  leaving 
Cuba,  Haiti,  Jamaica,  Porto  Rico,  and  afterwards  the 
other  islands  of  this  region,  above  the  sea. 

Then  came  a  long  stretch  of  time,  to  be  counted  by 
ages  rather  than  years,  during  which  a  deposit  of  lime- 
stone was  made,  lifting  the  West  India  Islands  above 
the  surface  of  the  ocean.  The  mountain  peaks  came 
into  shape,  and  craters  were  opened,  which  poured  forth 
liquid  lava.  Another  layer  of  limestone  formed,  like  a 
crust,  over  the  whole,  and  still  later,  coral  polyps  built 
their  dwellings  upon  the  summits  of  the  ridges  covered 
with  water.  We  find  around  nearly  all  the  West  India 
Islands  a  series  of  coral  terraces,  which  reach  some  dis- 
tance in  from  the  shore. 

Under  the  direction  of  our  government,  careful  study 
will  be  made  of  the  various  soils  in  Porto  Rico.  Ex- 
perts will  experiment  to  find  out  what  plants  will 
thrive  on  the  island,  and  how  these  may  best  be  culti- 
vated. By  this  means  the  farmers  will  learn  how  to 
raise  larger  crops,  and  of  better  quality,  than  can  be 
obtained  under  the  present  conditions. 

A  trip  to  Porto  Rico  would  be  incomplete  without  a 
visit  to  one  or  more  of  the  great  caves  to  be  found  in 
the  central  and  western  portions  of  the  island.  As  the 
underlying  rock  is  limestone,  cavities  are  to  be  expected. 


62  PORTO   RICO:  THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

They  extend  into  the  mountains  horizontally,  and  are 
often  very  striking  in  their  formation  and  coloring. 

We  will  start  for  our  trip  to  the  caves  from  Caguas, 
twenty  miles  south  of  San  Juan,  and  ride  on  our  small 
Porto  Rican  ponies  about  halfway  across  the  island  to 
Aguas  Buenas.  We  will  take  our  breakfast  in  the  bar- 
racks of  Aguas  Buenas,  and  then  make  our  way  to  the 
cave  itself.  "  Only  an  hour's  ride,"  our  Spanish  guide 
tells  us,  but  although  in  a  straight  line  it  is  barely  a  mile, 
by  the  steep  and  winding  trail  it  is  rather  a  long  journey. 

As  we  wind  slowly  along  the  rough  mountain  trail 
the  scenery  is  enchanting.  The  picture  increases  in 
beauty  as  we  climb,  especially  when  we  turn  to  look  on 
the  hills  and  valleys  behind  us.  A  thousand  feet  below 
is  the  charming  vale  in  which  the  busy  city  of  Caguas 
lies.  It  is  surrounded  by  great  fields  of  sugar-cane, 
whose  purple  stalks  stand  out  in  contrast  with  the  rich 
foliage  of  the  hills.  The  groups  of  trees  and  vines  are 
broken  here  and  there  by  clusters  of  buildings  with 
tall  chimneys  and  rambling  sheds — the  sugar  factories 
where  the  growers  grind  the  cane-stalk  and  prepare  it 
for  trade. 

A  traveler  thus  describes  the  approach  to  Aguas 
Buenas,  with  its  weather-worn  and  picturesque  church  : 

u  From  the  tower  the  early  morning  hour  is  struck  in 
cracked  tones,  which  reverberate  among  the  houses  of 
the  scarcely  awakened  town,  and  float  still  farther  out 
to  the  clustering  thatched  huts  of  the  poor,  clinging  to 
the  hillsides  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  gravitation.  The 
cool  morning  air;  the  sky  filled  with  fleecy  clouds 
through  which  the  slanting  sunlight  streams  in  moving 
patches  over  the  surface  of  the  landscape ;  the  women 


MOUNTAINS,    PLAINS,   AND   CAVES.  63 

trudging  with  heavy  loads  of  soiled  linen  on  their  heads 
to  a  near-by  stream  ;  the  white-clothed,  barefooted  men 
astride  of  panniered,  shambling  ponies  ;  the  well-dressed 
planters  and  shopkeepers  yawningly  opening  their 
closely  barred  windows,  combine  to  make  a  new  stage- 
setting,  part  Eastern,  part  Spanish,  part  Mexican,  and, 
last  of  all,  part  American,  for  over  many  houses  floats 
our  decorative  flag." 

At  last,  after  the  "  hour's  ride,"  we  go  down  a  wind- 
ing path  and  see  before  us  a  great  opening  in  a  wall  of 
rock.  This  is  not  the  principal  entrance  to  the  cave,  but 
here  we  hitch  our  ponies  to  the  calabash  trees,  and  walk 
through  the  thick  underbrush  to  a  narrow  gorge,  where 
we  approach  a  deep,  yawning,  black  hole,  the  mouth  of 
the  "  Dark  Cave." 

As  we  enter,  the  water  dripping  from  the  ceiling  falls 
upon  our  heads.  The  top,  bottom,  and  sides  of  the  cave 
are  limestone,  and  the  dropping  water  holds  this  sub- 
stance in  solution,  just  as  common  salt  can  be  dissolved 
in  a  glass  of  water.  We  turn  instinctively  to  see 
where  the  drops  come  from,  and  to  our  surprise  we 
observe  them  falling  from  what  appear  to  be  icicles 
hanging  from  the  ceiling  of  the  cave.  Closer  inspec- 
tion shows  that  they  are  not  really  icicles,  but  the  lime- 
stone itself,  which  is  left  behind  by  the  dripping  water 
in  this  form,  the  pendants  growing  a  little  larger  every 
year,  as  each  drop  of  water  leaves  its  mite  of  limestone 
on  the  end.  But  not  all  the  limestone  in  the  drop  of 
water  is  left  on  the  pendant  above.  Similar  "  icicles  " 
stand  upward  from  the  floor  of  the  cave,  and  in  the  light 
of  the  torches  these  stalactites  and  stalagmites,  as  they 
are  called,  gleam  with  a  whiteness  like  snow. 


64  PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

From  the  first  gallery,  which  is  a  hundred  yards  long 
and  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  we  push  forward  into 
other  chambers,  where  we  are  startled  by  the  bats,  whose 
fanning  wings  and  hurried  flight  recall  the  sound  of 
rushing  waters.  Deep  holes  seem  to  lead  to  an  un- 
known world  below.  The  guides  tremble  if  one  of  us 
draws  too  near  the  edge  to  look  over,  or  throws  stones 
into  the  depths  to  listen  to  the  hollow  sounds  that 
echo  back. 

After  we  have  gone  two  miles  into  this  great  cavern, 
we  return  to  explore  another  near  by.  Here  the  pas- 
sageway winds  in  and  out,  and  we  enter  great  halls 
from  paths  over  which  we  have  crawled  on  hands  and 
knees.  Here  are  rocks,  some  dark  and  somber,  while 
others,  creamy  white,  gleam  and  sparkle  in  the  flare  of 
the  torch.  As  we  penetrate  farther  into  the  depths  of 
the  mountain,  we  hear  the  murmuring  of  a  brook  hun- 
dreds of  feet  below,  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  daylight  here 
and  there  from  the  top  of  the  tall  domes,  and  finally  we 
clamber  out  on  the  opposite  side.  After  eight  hours  in 
such  realms  of  darkness  we  are  ready  to  welcome  the 
sunlight  and  our  nourishing  luncheon  of  chicken,  eggs, 
and  rice. 

The  noted  cave  of  Concejo,  near  Arecibo,  is  within  a 
vertical  rock  three  hundred  feet  high.  Chamber  beyond 
chamber  tempts  the  explorer  to  keep  going  farther,  but 
the  slippery  floor  warns  him  meanwhile  to  take  heed  to  his 
steps.  The  caves  of  Loiza,  San  Sebastian,  and  Manati  are 
worth  long  journeys  to  see.  In  their  gorgeous  colors  and 
mazy  windings  they  remind  the  visitor  of  Mammoth 
Cave  in  Kentucky,  although  they  are  insignificant  in 
size,  as  compared  with  the  latter.  Mammoth  Cave  is 


MOUNTAINS,    PLAINS,   AND   CAVES.  65 

forty  miles  long,  while  not  one  of  these  is  more  than 
two. 

It  is  only  in  recent  years  that  men  of  science  have 
explored  these  Porto  Rican  caves  with  any  attempt  at 
thoroughness.  They  have  found  there,  however,  certain 
treasures  rarely  seen  elsewhere  in  either  North  or  South 
America.  These  are  pieces  of  bones  and  skulls  and  one 
complete  skull  bone  of  the  people  who  first  inhabited 
the  island.  The  skulls  are  of  special  interest,  since 
they  reveal  a  peculiar  custom  practiced  by  these  people, 
and  left  for  us  to  discover,  so  many  years  after  they  are 
dead  and  gone.  Experts  who  have  studied  them  tell  us 
that  the  skull  bones  show,  from  their  queer,  pointed 
shape,  that  some  of  the  babies  must  have  had  their 
heads  bound,  just  as  the  Chinese  bind  the  feet  of  little 
girls  to-day.  Only  the  boy  babies'  heads  were  thus  bound, 
and  probably  not  all  of  them.  Why  this  cruel  torture 
was  practiced,  to  make  the  heads  of  certain  men  long 
and  pointed,  we  can  only  guess.  Were  the  children  of 
the  chiefs  thus  deformed,  to  distinguish  them  from  the 
people  of  lower  rank?  Were  those  destined  to  be  war- 
riors selected,  that  by  their  hideousness  they  might 
strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  their  enemies  ?  What  it 
was  for  we  shall  probably  never  know ;  there  is  simply 
one  misshapen  skull,  with  pieces  of  several  others,  to  tell 
us  of  the  savagery  of  a  people  of  whose  existence  Porto 
Rico  shows  hardly  another  trace. 


66  PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

CHAPTER   VI. 

RIVERS   AND   SOIL. 

AN  area  of  thirty-six  hundred  square  miles  and  thir- 
teen hundred  rivers  and  streams  !  This  is  the  proportion 
in  Porto  Rico.  Where  on  the  earth's  surface  shall  we 
find  its  equal?  As  the  island  is  not  large,  its  rivers 
must  necessarily  be  short,  but  what  they  lack  in  length 
they  make  up  in  numbers.  The  mountains  are  the 
fountain  head  of  many  livers,  the  majority  of  which 
flow  northward  and  southward.  This  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  mountain  ranges  run  east  and  west,  lengthwise 
with  the  island.  As  they  are  one  third  nearer  the 
southern  than  the  northern  coast,  the  rivers  flowing 
northward  are  one  third  longer  than  those  flowing 
south.  The  mountain  slopes  north  and  south  are  deeply 
cut  by  the  rapid  streams,  giving  most  of  the  interior 
a  steep,  hilly  surface.  Owing  to  the  suddenness  of 
these  descents  and  the  dryness  of  the  earth,  espe- 
cially on  the  south  side,  much  of  the  water  runs  off 
without  irrigating  the  soil.  The  rivers  gather  quickly 
and  flow  rapidly,  finding  their  way  to  the  sea  in  a  very 
short  time.  This  gives  them  a  larger  volume  than  in 
countries  where  the  rise  of  the  ground  from  the  sea 
towards  the  interior  is  gradual. 

Seventeen  rivers  springing  from  the  mountains  flow 
northward  and  empty  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Unlike 
the  rivers  of  the  United  States,  those  of  Porto  Rico  are, 
on  the  whole,  narrow.  Few  of  them  are  more  than  two 
hundred  feet  in  width,  and  most  of  them  have  an 
average  depth  of  from  two  to  four  feet.  Some  of 


RIVERS   AND   SOIL  67 

tlu'se,  however,  are  streams  of  comparatively  large  size. 
A  few  of  them  are  navigable  for  a  considerable  distance 
above  their  mouths.  Ihe  Arecibo,  for  instance,  will 
admit  vessels  of  ordinary  draft  to  within  fifteen  miles 
of  its  source.  But  in  a  majority  of  cases  the  rivers 
of  the  northern  side  allow  of  little  commerce  with  the 
interior.  Across  the  entrance  to  several  of  them  are 
sand  bars,  washed  up  by  the  rough  sea,  which  present 
another  obstacle  to  navigation. 

The  rains,  which  are  very  abundant  on  the  northern 
side  of  the  island,  often  cause  the  rivers  to  overflow 
their  banks.  The  floods  that  result  do  great  injury  to 
the  crops.  As  the  rains  are  less  frequent  south  of  the 
mountain  divide,  the  rivers  on  this  side  are  not  so  richly 
supplied  with  water.  Yet  the  streams  of  the  south  are 
never  wholly  dried  up,  although  often  no  rain  falls  for 
ten  months  at  a  time. 

Of  the  rivers  flowing  into  the  Atlantic,  the  Loiza, 
though  not  navigable  for  so  long  a  distance  as  the 
Arecibo,  is  the  largest.  Because  of  its  size  it  has  been 
called  the  Rio  Grande  de  .Loiza.  It  rises  in  the  Sierra 
de  Cayey  in  Guayama,  flows  northwest  and  then  north- 
east, gathering  the  waters  of  numerous  smaller  streams 
along  the  way,  and  empties  into  the  Atlantic  at  the  port 
of  Loiza.  At  Carolina,  fifteen  miles  from  the  mouth,  its 
surface  width  is  220  feet,  its  depth  three  feet. 

The  Plata,  which  rises  in  the  same  mountain  heights, 
is  nearly  as  long  as  the  Loiza.  It  drains  the  rich 
tobacco  fields  of  Cayey  and  Aibonito,  takes  a  northerly 
direction,  and,  passing  through  Toa  Alta  and  Bayamon, 
empties  into  the  Atlantic  near  Dorado,  ten  miles  west 
of  San  Juan. 


68  PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

The  east  fork  of  the  Arecibo  rises  in  the  ravines  of 
the  great  divide.  The  west  branch  begins  its  course 
near  Adjuntas.  The  two  branches  unite  a  few  miles 
above  Utuado  and  then  flow  slightly  northwest.  The 
stream  is  enlarged  by  the  Tanama,  which,  increased  by 
three  branches,  continues  to  Arecibo,  where  it  enters 
the  sea. 

The  Manati,  rising  in  the  Sierra  Grande  which  sur- 
rounds the  mountain  town  of  Barros,  passes  on  its  north- 
ward way  Manati  and  Barceloneta,  and  empties  into  the 
ocean  at  Point  Boquilla. 

The  Bayamon  rises  in  the  high  mountains  of  the 
interior,  flows  almost  due  north,  and  empties  into  the 
bay  of  San  Juan.  The  town  of  Bayamon  is  situated 
on  this  river.  The  Rio  Piedras  is  a  stream  of  lesser 
size.  It  also  empties  into  the  bay  of  San  Juan. 

Two  mountain  streams,  one  rising  near  Corozal  and 
the  other  near  Morovis,  flowing  northward,  unite  and 
form  the  river  Morovis,  which  empties  into  the  At- 
lantic about  fifteen  miles  west  of  San  Juan. 

Of  the  sixteen  rivers  that  empty  into  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  three  may  be  mentioned.  The  Coamo  passes  between 
the  Sierra  Grande  on  the  west  and  the  ridges  of  Coamo 
on  the  east.  It  flows  near  the  town  of  that  name,  and 
empties  into  the  sea  east  of  Coamo  Point.  West  of  the 
Sierra  de  Cayey  and  east  of  the  Coamo  Mountains  flows 
the  Salinas,  in  a  southwesterly  direction  to  the  sea.  The 
Jacaguas,  or  Juan  Diaz,  pursues  a  southwesterly  course 
from  its  source  on  the  southern  slopes  of  the  higher 
mountains.  Passing  under  the  great  military  road  at 
Juana  Diaz,  it  empties  into  the  sea  a  few  miles  east  of 
Ponce.  The  rivers  of  the  north  differ  from  those  of  the 


RIVERS   AND   SOIL. 


69 


south   in  the  abundance  of  delicious  fish  which  they 
produce. 

There  are  but  three  rivers  of  importance  which  empty 
into  the  Mona  Passage  on  the  west  coast.     The  first  of 


A    MILL    FOR    GRINDING    CORN. 


these,  the  Mayaguez,  is  a  short  but  useful  river,  which 
reaches  the  sea  near  the  city  of  the  same  name.  A 
few  miles  southward  is  the  Guanajibo,  which  flows 
between  the  broken  ridges  of  the  Lares  Mountains  on  the 


70  PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

north  and  Torre  Hill  on  the  south.  One  branch  encir- 
cles Cerro  Montuoso,  another  the  Tetas  de  Cerro  Gordo 
Mountains.  Three  towns  lie  along  the  banks  of  this 
river  and  its  affluents, —  Sabana  Grande,  San  German, 
and  Hormigueros.  The  Anasco  River  rises  among  the 
Lares  summits  ;  its  northern  branch,  called  the  Prieto,  is 
long  and  winding,  taking  its  rise  in  the  fastnesses  of  Cerro 
de  Guilarte,  one  of  the  loftiest  mountains  in  western 
Porto  Rico.  The  Prieto  flows  through  Las  Marias,  then 
into,  and  becomes  a  part  of,  the  Anasco,  upon  whose 
banks  is  the  town  of  the  same  name.  Its  mouth  is 
about  five  miles  north  of  Mayaguez. 

Compared  with  the  rivers  of  the  northern  coast  those 
of  the  eastern  are  small  and  limited  in  commercial 
value.  The  principal  ones  are  Fajardo,  Guayanes,  and 
Humacao.  Not  one  of  them  is  navigable  except  for 
small  craft,  and  yet  they  drain  a  country  wonderfully 
fertile. 

If  we  should  make  a  journey  around  the  coast,  we 
should  find  forty-six  rivers  emptying  into  the  sea,  one 
every  eight  miles.  Aside  from  the  rivers  are  countless 
rivulets  and  streams. 

The  value  to  Porto  Rico  of  its  rivers  cannot  be  told. 
They  hold  the  secret  of  much  of  its  agricultural  wealth. 
Its  fertility  will  never  diminish  as  long  as  its  water 
supply  is  wisely  used.  But  it  is  a  historical  fact  that 
the  rivers  and  water  courses  of  the  island  have  never 
been  turned  to  the  best  account  for  the  purposes  of  com- 
merce. For  example,  between  the  Arecibo  and  the 
Manati  rivers  there  is  a  fresh-water  lagoon  six  miles 
long  and  parallel  with  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Communi- 
cation between  this  lake  and  these  two  rivers  might  be 


RIVERS   AND   SOIL  71 

made  at  small  expense.  This  would  open  the  way  for 
free  intercourse  between  the  rivers  and  the  valleys 
through  which  they  flow.  It  would  make  business 
brisker  and  increase  prosperity. 

Scattered  here  and  there  over  the  island  are  some 
eight  bodies  of  water  of  sufficient  size  to  be  called  lakes. 
The  two  largest  are  Lake  Guanica  in  the  south,  and 
Lake  Martin  Pina  in  the  north.  Several  lagoons  are  to 
be  found  near  the  coast,  the  principal  one  being  that  on 
the  northern  border  of  Arecibo,  to  which  reference  has 
already  been  made.  Picturesque  cascades  are  the  Salto 
de  los  Moron es  near  Adjuntas,  and  the  falls  of  Santa 
Alta  in  Bayam6n.  There  are  also  mineral  and  hot 
springs,  such  as  those  of  Coamo  and  Quintana. 

A  word  picture  of  Porto  Rican  water  scenes  is  given 
by  Mr.  William  Dinwiddie.  "  In  the  western  half  of 
the  island,"  he  says,  "  one  sees  from  dizzy  mountain 
trails  exquisite  sunlit  falls,  dropping  in  silver  threads 
for  two  hundred  feet  over  steep  rock  precipices,  hidden 
in  places  in  their  descent  by  giant  ferns  and  clusters  of 
flowering  plants.  From  the  depths  of  the  huge  ravines 
rises  the  sound  of  tumbling  water,  but  the  rivers  are 
hidden  from  sight  by  the  mass  of  tropical  growth.  By 
toiling  down  steep-sided  hills,  clinging  to  the  thick- 
grown  coffee  bushes,  step  by  step,  one  is  at  last  rewarded 
by  a  vision  of  curling  falls  and  boiling  waters,  embow- 
ered in  arches  of  unfamiliar  trees  and  pendent  vines, 
which  fills  the  soul  of  a  lover  of  nature  with  thrills  of 
joy.  These  streams  give  to  the  rural  inhabitants  an 
abundance  of  fresh  water ;  from  them,  also,  might  be 
obtained  power  for  running  machinery,  for  while  they  do 
at  times  become  raging  torrents,  they  never  fall  below  a 


72  PORTO    RICO:  THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

certain  level.  Again,  much  of  the  wonderful  fertility 
of  the  lowlands  is  due  to  the  overflowing  freshets, 
which,  several  times  a  year,  deposit  a  mountain-gathered 
load  of  rich  soil." 

One  of  the  advantages  which  will  result  from  Ameri- 
can control  in  Porto  Rico  will  be  improved  methods  of 
irrigation.  By  building  reservoirs  and  aqueducts,  and 
by  connecting  the  river  courses  by  means  of  canals, 
much  of  the  water  that  now  rushes  to  the  sea  and  is 
wasted  may  be  used  to  enrich  the  soil. 

Whatever  plans  are  put  in  operation  by  American  en- 
terprise, we  must  remember  that  science  has  already 
done  much  for  Porto  Rico.  The  road  builder,  the 
bridge  maker,  the  fruit  raiser  and  the  grain  producer 
have  been  at  work.  The  Spaniards  have  constructed 
many  irrigating  ditches  of  moderate  size.  The  low 
playa  lands  between  Guayama  and  Ponce  yield  good 
sugar-cane  crops  by  this  means  of  irrigation.  The  thick, 
heavy  growth  is  the  result  of  the  artificial  supply  of 
water.  The  only  trouble  is  that  irrigation  is  so  little 
employed  in  the  island. 

The  abundant  rainfall  provides  water  sufficient  for 
three  fourths  of  the  island.  The  remaining  fourth, 
which  consists  of  some  eight  hundred  miles  of  dry  soil 
along  the  coast,  can,  by  artificial  watering,  be  made  to 
blossom  like  the  rose.  Certain  tracts  of  land  that  have 
been  deemed  useless  for  purposes  of  cultivation,  will 
yield  rich  harvests  when  made  to  feel  the  touch  of 
great  rivers.  The  playa  lands  can  be  made,  by  proper 
methods  of  irrigation,  to  yield  double  the  present  crop 
of  bananas,  cocoanuts,  and  sugar-cane.  Of  the  four 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  included  in  what  is  called  "  the 


74  PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

southern  back  coast  border,"  nearly  a  quarter  of  the 
territory  could  be  made  to  add  to  the  wealth  of  the 
island  if  irrigation  were  rightly  applied. 

Porto  Rico  has  so  great  an  amount  of  water  in  its 
fertile  portions  that  it  can  spare  enough  to  enrich  the 
needy  sections.  By  tapping  some  of  the  well-filled 
streams  and  turning  them  into  shallow  channels,  the  dry 
places  can  be  watered.  During  the  rainy  season  the 
flood  discharges  of  the  larger  streams  occur  at  frequent 
intervals.  Little  of  this  water  need  be  lost.  Large 
storage  reservoirs  might  be  constructed  in  the  valleys, 
and  connection  be  made  between  them  and  the  dry  soil 
of  the  foothills. 

For  many  years  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  have 
watered  their  fields  from  irrigating  canals.  The  most  ad- 
vanced modern  science  has  not  improved  on  these  canals 
as  regards  durability,  for  many  of  them  are  as  service- 
able to-day  as  when  they  were  constructed,  perhaps  two 
centuries  ago.  Our  methods  of  irrigating,  employed  in 
California  and  elsewhere,  are,  however,  more  economical 
in  the  use  of  water.  When  the  Porto  Ricans  learn,  as 
they  certainly  will  very  soon,  how  to  take  advantage  of 
the  possibilities  in  this  direction,  the  most  difficult  of  the 
agricultural  problems  will  have  been  solved. 

Much  of  the  soil  along  the  southwestern  coast  re- 
sponds readily  to  irrigation.  The  surface  soil  is  a  rich, 
earthy  loam,  with  a  subsoil  of  an  open,  porous  limestone, 
which  supplies  excellent  drainage.  The  land  is  at 
present  largely  under  cultivation  in  maize,  beans,  pease, 
cassava,  and  other  vegetables.  Fruits  of  various  kinds 
grow  finely  in  such  soil. 

The  soil  of  the  mountains  is  a  dark  red  clay.     That 


RIVERS  AND   SOIL. 


75 


of  the  foothills  is  white  limestone  which  abounds  from 
Florida  southward,  though  it  is  seldom  found  in  the 
United  States.  Vegetation  takes  deep  root  in  the  rich 
red  mountain  soil.  But  this  same  clay  soil,  when  sticky 
and  wet,  is  a  terror  to  the  farmer  carrying  his  produce 


THE    COAMO    RIVER. 


to  market.  It  resembles  in  color  the  clay  regions  of 
the  Appalachian  Mountain  system,  and  is  made  of 
black  volcanic  rocks.  The  color  is  due  to  the  iron 
which  it  contains.  The  constant  action  of  the  mois- 
ture and  heat  causes  this  rock  formation  to  decay,  and 
thus  to  become  a  fertile  soil. 


76          PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

The  playa  soil,  found  along  the  coast,  consists  of  a  red 
loam  washed  down  by  the  rapidly  flowing  rivers.  In  the 
southwestern  portion  of  the  island  the  soil  is  blacker, 
and  contains  considerable  lime.  It  is  suitable  for  grow- 
ing sugar-cane. 

Owing  to  long-continued  cultivation,  much  of  the  soil 
of  Porto  Rico  has  become  exhausted,  so  that  it  has  in 
many  places  been  abandoned  or  is  allowed  to  remain  idle. 
No  fertilizers  have  been  applied  to  give  it  the  old-time 
richness.  This  is  especially  the  case  on  the  north  side 
of  the  island.  Near  Carolina  and  Rio  Grande  are 
deserted  sugar  estates.  In  the  vicinity  of  Lares  and 
Adjuntas  many  abandoned  fields  are  to  be  seen. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

CLIMATE,  KAINFALL,  HURRICANES. 

WE  are  accustomed  to  think  that  the  farther  south 
a  certain  locality  is,  the  warmer  it  must  be.  Because 
Porto  Rico  is  in  the  same  latitude  as  the  Desert  of 
Sahara,  Vera  Cruz,  Rangoon,  and  Bombay,  it  seems 
to  one  living  farther  north  that  it  must  be  almost 
unbearably  hot.  Of  course  the  climate  of  the  island  is 
tropical,  and  on  the  coast  it  is  very  warm.  The  mountains 
do  much  towards  varying  the  atmosphere,  however,  and 
in  the  interior  the  air  is  cool  and  healthful.  At  Ponce, 
for  example,  the  heat  is  intense,  but  back  among  the  hills 
at  Adjuntas  the  atmosphere  is  really  bracing.  The  word 
climate  originally  meant  a  slant  or  incline,  and  thus  it 
referred  to  mountain  slopes  which  cause  changes  in  the 


CLIMATE,    RAINFALL,    HURRICANES.  77 

atmosphere,  and  so  bring  heat  or  cold,  dryness  or  damp- 
ness. 

The  variation  in  temperature  between  the  coast  and 
the  interior  of  the  island  is  not  caused  wholly  by  the 
difference  in  elevation,  but  is  in  part  due  to  the  aid  which 
great  heights  give  in  condensing  moisture  and  bringing 
rain  to  cool  the  air. 

Lying  well  within  the  circle  of  the  tropics,  the  island 
is  in  the  direction  of  the  southwest  trade  winds,  which 
blow  with  great  regularity  and  cool  the  air  to  a  consid- 
erable extent.  The  Cape  Verd  Islands,  the  Hawaiian 
Islands,  and  the  Philippines  are  on  nearly  the  same  par- 
allel as  Porto  Rico.  Each  locality  has  its  peculiarities 
and  its  charms,  but  for  a  place  of  residence  or  resort 
none  of  them  can  surpass  this  garden  spot  of  the  West 
Indies. 

To  Americans  planning  to  visit  the  island,  the  ques- 
tion of  climate  is  a  very  important  one.  The  future  of 
this  land  of  sunshine,  as  an  American  possession,  bears 
directly  upon  its  healthfulness  for  people  from  farther 
north.  From  November  to  March  the  climate  is  almost 
ideal.  This  is  called  the  winter  season,  although  there  is 
neither  snow  nor  frost.  There  are  occasional  showers, 
but  they  are  most  common  at  night.  The  trade  winds 
blow  from  the  east,  northeast,  or  southeast,  making  the 
air  fresh  and  invigorating.  During  the  months  from 
April  to  about  October  the  air  is  warmer,  the  heat  more 
continuous,  the  rains  more  frequent  and  of  longer  dura- 
tion. The  heat  and  rain  together  produce  great  mois- 
ture, especially  along  the  coast. 

If  we  plan  to  spend  a  week  in  San  Juan,  or  Arecibo, 
or  Ponce,  it  had  best  be  during  the  winter  season.  But 


78 


PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 


whatever  the  time  of  ^ear,  such  mountainous  centers  as 
Adjuntas,  Lares,  and  Cayey  are  most  delightful  towns 
to  visit.  As  places  of  refuge  from  the  heat  of  the  coast 
they  are  paradise  itself.  Passing  from  a  temperature  of 

90°  to  one  of 
60°  is  an  easy 
step  in  Porto 
Rico. 

Many  people 
have  consid- 
ered that  the 
climate  of  the 
island  is  un- 
healthful.  This 
is  due  to  an 
unwise  choice 
of  the  season 
for  trying  it, 
too  rash  indul- 
gence in  tropi- 
cal fruits,  or 
a  general  dis- 
regard of  the 
laws  of  health. 
Walking  on 
the  sunny  side 
of  a  street  in 
Ponce  on  a 
July  day  is  something  that  no  native  would  venture  to 
attempt.  The  rainy  season  tries  any  constitution  used 
to  a  northern  climate.  As  a  result,  malarial  diseases 
have,  in  many  cases,  been  produced.  Care  in  selecting 


COCOA    PALMS. 


CLIMATE,    RAINFALL,    HURRICANES.  79 

a  healthful  locality  and  eating  proper  food  make  travel- 
ing in  Porto  Rico  a  delight. 

The  sudden  change  from  glaring  sunlight  to  dense 
shade  is  so  great  that  it  often  produces  injurious  effects. 
It  cools  the  blood  so  quickly  that  pneumonia  occasion- 
ally results,  or  some  fatal  disease  of  the  lungs. 

In  the  summer  season  heavy  rains  may  be  expected. 
The  water  falls,  not  in  showers,  but  in  sheets.  The  rains 
begin  in  May,  and  gradually  increase  in  volume  until 
the  middle  of  August,  when  they  are  at  their  height. 
It  sometimes  seems  as  if  everything  would  be  deluged. 
Occasionally  the  sound  of  thunder  gives  warning  of 
the  coming  downpour.  When  it  arrives  there  is  no 
describing  the  magnitude  of  the  shower.  It  "  rains  dag- 
gers with  their  points  downward."  Every  object  disap- 
pears from  view.  In  twenty  minutes  one  seems  to  be 
surrounded  by  a  lake.  Among  the  mountains  the  tor- 
rents rush  into  the  rivers,  fill  them  to  overflowing,  tear 
down  the  slopes  and  flood  the  plains  below. 

The  trade  winds  blow  across  the  island  from  the  east 
or  southeast  during  the  entire  year.  These  refreshing 
breezes  are  actually  felt  only  along  the  coast  and  a  short 
distance  inland,  but  their  effects  may  be  seen  far  back  in 
the  interior.  The  rnango  and  palm  trees  of  San  Juan, 
which  are  exposed  to  the  force  of  the  north  wind,  bend 
towards  the  south.  They  yield  to  the  pressure  of  these 
steady  air  currents,  somewhat  as  the  trees  of  Southern 
California  bend  eastward,  in  the  direction  of  the  prevail- 
ing winds  that  come  from  the  Pacific. 

These  trade  winds,  blowing  from  the  warm  ocean, 
strike  the  mountain  summits,  which  cool  them  quickly 
and  condense  the  moisture  into  rain.  As  they  keep  on 


80  PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

farther  to  the  south  and  west  they  bring  more  rain  at 
the  mountain  summits  near  the  center  of  the  island. 
When  the  mountains  are  passed  the  clouds  are  thin  and 
scattering,  so  that  little  rain  falls  on  the  island's  south- 
ern side. 

Porto  Rico  is  sometimes  visited  by  severe  hurricanes. 
They  do  not  come  very  frequently,  however.  Since 
Columbus's  day  only  seven  disastrous  hurricanes  have 
been  recorded.  The  island  is  so  small  that  the  effects 
of  a  hurricane  are  very  apparent,  and  thus  the  storms  are 
dreaded  more  than  they  deserve  to  be. 

The  first  hurricane  of  historic  interest  in  Porto  Rico 
occurred  in  1515.  In  1678  an  English  fleet,  anchored 
off  San  Juan,  was  partly  destroyed,  just  as  its  admiral 
had  commanded  the  surrender  of  the  city  fortifications. 
In  1702  a  Porto  Rican  squadron  was  wrecked  as  it  was 
about  to  sail  from  the  harbor  to  attack  an  English  fleet. 
The  most  violent  hurricane  of  the  eighteenth  century 
was  that  of  1772,  when  the  ruin  of  houses,  the  destruc- 
tion of  trees,  plantations,  and  crops,  and  the  loss  of  life, 
were  enormous. 

When  the  Empress  Josephine,  wife  of  Napoleon  Bon- 
aparte, was  three  years  old,  a  hurricane  visited  Mar- 
tinique, her  birthplace.  The  house  in  which  she  lived 
was  destroyed.  Her  father  and  mother,  with  their  three 
daughters,  fled  to  a  cave  or  covered  structure  built  for 
shelter  at  such  a  time.  After  hours  spent  in  this  suffo- 
cating place  they  went  out,  only  to  find  their  sugar 
plantation  in  ruins.  During  the  next  ten  years  "  the 
pretty  Creole,"  as  her  friends  called  her,  lived  in  the 
upper  rooms  of  an  old  sugar  mill  whose  walls  are  still 
standing.  A  few  years  later  Josephine  was  married  and 


CLIMATE,   RAINFALL,   HURRICANES.  81 

went  to  live  in  France,  but  that  hurricane  was  something 
she  never  forgot. 

One  year  after  the  American  forces  took  possession  of 
Porto  Rico,  August  8,  1899,  a  most  destructive  hurri- 
cane visited  the  island.  The  eastern  and  southern 
coasts  lay  in  its  deadly  course.  The  resulting  disaster 
has  affected  the  industrial  progress  ever  since.  Humacao 
was  laid  low ;  Yabucoa  was  left  a  heap  of  ruins.  Little 
remained  of  the  old  town  and  port  of  Arroyo  excepting 
scattered  debris.  During  this  terrible  storm  the  great 
military  road  between  San  Juan  and  Ponce  was  dam- 
aged to  the  extent  of  $150,000. 

At  Ponce  and  the  port  of  Ponce  great  injury  was 
done.  The  streets  were  flooded,  the  dwellings  over- 
turned. The  coffee  and  sugar-cane  crops  were  ruined. 
Fruit  trees  were  torn  up  by  the  roots,  and  the  orange, 
banana,  and  lemon  industries  were  crippled.  On  the 
northern  coast  nearly  three  thousand  persons  lost  their 
lives,  and  cattle  were  killed  by  the  thousand.  At  Juana 
Diaz,  near  Ponce,  rain  fell  to  the  enormous  amount  of 
11.20  inches  in  twenty-four  hours. 

Some  idea  of  the  terrible  damage  done  to  the  crops 
can  be  gathered  from  the  report  made  January  15, 
1900,  by  General  George  W.  Davis,  Military  Governor 
of  Porto  Rico.  The  coffee  crop,  General  Davis  states, 
is  sold  at  from  seven  to  nine  million  dollars  a  year. 
The  berries  were  just  ripening  when  the  storm  came, 
and  instead  of  gathering  five  million  pounds  of  coffee, 
the  growers  had  only  three  million  pounds,  and  that  of 
poor  quality.  In  a  normal  year  the  sugar  crop  yields  a 
return  of  twelve  million  dollars.  The  hurricane  reduced 
it  in  1899  to  three  million  dollars. 


82  PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

It  is  likely  to  be  many  years  before  there  is  such  a 
hurricane  again.  If  we  make  our  visit  to  the  island  at 
the  most  enjoyable  season,  we  need  have  no  fear,  for 
these  storms  usually  occur  in  August  or  September. 

Professor  Mark  W.  Harrington,  of  the  United  States 
Weather  Bureau,  who  has  made  a  study  of  Porto  Rican 
weather  conditions  on  the  ground,  divides  the  island 
into  a  wet  and  dry  belt,  the  central  Cordillera  serving  as 
the  dividing  line.  The  north  side  is  wet  and  the  south 
side  dry-  The  greatest  rainfall  is  on  El  Yunque,  where 
it  amounts  to  120  inches  a  year.  On  the  south  side, 
from  Guayama  to  Cabo  Rojo,  the  climate  is  drier,  but 
most  of  the  island  is  wet,  as  compared  with  the  average 
amount  of  rain  in  the  United  States.  The  mountains 
are  constantly  covered  with  moisture,  either  by  daily 
rainfalls  or  dense  mists  which  collect  upon  them  at 
night,  except  upon  the  lower  portion  of  their  southern 
slopes.  Hence  it  may  be  said  that  the  surface  is  never 
dry  and  the  subsoil  in  the  mountain  region  is  kept 
constantly  moist. 

Under  Spanish  rule,  weather  observations  were  neither 
accurate  nor  complete.  Our  officials  have  established 
weather  stations  in  different  parts  of  the  island,  and 
monthly  reports  are  published  by  the  Weather  Bureau 
of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  The 
work  is  divided  into  the  Climate  and  Crop  Service. 
Daily  records  are  made  from  thirty-four  stations,  in- 
cluding one  on  the  island  of  Vieques.  These  records 
are  sent  to  the  central  office  at  San  Juan,  where  the 
monthly  reports  are  prepared  and  then  forwarded  to 
Washington. 

The  weather  records  are  based  upon  (1)  temperature 


CLIMATE,    RAINFALL,    HURRICANES.  83 

in  degrees  Fahrenheit ;  (2)  rainfall  in  inches ;  (3)  sky ; 
(4)  wind.  From  tables  showing  data  for  1899,  the  fol- 
lowing facts  are  gleaned  :  The  highest  degree  of  tem- 
perature was  95°  Fahrenheit.  This  is  no  warmer  than 
our  thermometers  sometimes  record  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  United  States.  The  highest  temperature  was  at 
Hacienda  Perla,  in  the  district  of  Humacao,  July  31. 
The  lowest  temperature  was  at  Adjuntas,  December  24, 
the  thermometer  reading  40°  Fahrenheit.  The  annual 
average  temperature  of  the  island,  as  taken  from  reports  of 
these  stations  having  records  for  ten  or  more  months, 
was  76.6°. 

The  highest  average  temperature  of  the  United  States 
is  69°,  and  is  reached  in  Florida  and  Louisiana.  The 
other  extreme  is  found  in  Wyoming,  with  a  record  of 
41°,  and  New  Hampshire,  where  the  mean  temperature 
is  42°. 

The  difference  between  the  average  summer  and  aver- 
age winter  temperature  of  any  one  place  in  Porto  Rico 
is  only  a  very  few  degrees,  inducing  a  very  uniform  cli- 
mate. The  temperature  in  Washington,  D.C.,  covers  a 
range  of  118°.  The  difference  between  day  and  night  in 
Porto  Rico  is  only  ten  or  fifteen  degrees.  The  air  is 
seldom  sultry,  though  it  is  often  damp  and  chilly. 

The  greatest  local  yearly  rainfall,  in  1899,  140.06 
inches,  was  at  Hacienda  Perla ;  the  least,  59.29  inches, 
was  at  Isabela.  The  former  of  these  localities  is  inland, 
460  feet  above  the  sea  level ;  the  latter  is  near  the  north- 
ern coast,  240  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  United  States  Government  issues  a  "  Weekly 
Crop  Bulletin."  These  bulletins  are  printed  in  Eng- 
lish and  Spanish,  and  they  serve  to  acquaint  the  people 


84  PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

of  the  island  with  the  exact  weather  conditions  and 
the  state  of  the  crops.  A  specimen  selection  is  taken 
from  the  bulletin  for  a  single  week  in  July: 

"  Heavy  showers  have  fallen  during  the  week  in  portions  of  the 
districts  of  Aguadilla,  Cayey,  Humacao,  and  San  Juan  de  Puerto 
Rico.  In  other  districts  the  rainfall  has  been  general,  but  light. 

"  High  winds,  accompanying  thunderstorms,  have  prevailed,  but 
no  damage  to  vegetation  is  reported. 

"  Minor  products  are  reported  in  good  condition,  and  corn,  beans 
and  rice  are  abundant.  Land  for  tobacco  and  seedplots  is  being 
prepared,  but  with  little  activity. 

"  A  crop  of  oats  which  was  sowed  near  Humacao,  as  an  experi- 
ment, is  reported  as  a  failure,  rust  having  taken  place  on  account 
of  the  damp  weather.  The  report  made  last  week  concerning  the 
favorable  condition  of  coffee  in  the  vicinity  of  Sabana  Grande  was 
an  error,  the  correspondent  making  a  correction  in  his  report  this 
week,  stating  that  the  berry  is  in  very  bad  condition. 

"  Stations  reporting  two  inches  or  more  of  rainfall  during  the 
week  are  Hacienda  Coloso,  2.62  inches ;  San  Lorenzo,  2.30  inches  ; 
Humacao,  2.46  inches;  and  Weikato,  2.13 inches." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE   THREE   GREAT  STAPLES. 

FOR  centuries  there  has  been  a  saying,  "  No  one  goes 
hungry  in  Porto  Rico."  The  truthfulness  of  this  proverb 
is  borne  out  when  we  remember  that  for  three  hundred 
years  the  island  has  supported  a  dense  population  by  the 
products  of  its  soil.  The  larger  portion  of  the  island 
produces  some  grain  or  fruit  or  cereal,  only  small  sec- 
tions remaining  in  their  natural  state. 


THE   THREE   GREAT   STAPLES.  85 

To  the  American  entering  upon  this  new  possession  the 
question  is  not,  what  has  the  island  produced  in  the  past, 
but  what  can  it  be  made  to  produce  in  the  future  ?  The 
general  opinion  is  that  its  products  are  the  finest  in  the 
West  Indies,  and  that  it  will  yield  more  to  the  acre,  and 
in  greater  variety,  than  any  of  its  neighbors. 

It  is,  however,  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  soil  brings 
forth  its  fruits  as  by  magic  and  without  careful  tillage. 
The  fertility  of  the  soil  is  so  great  that  it  needs  the  appli- 
cation of  the  laws  of  agriculture  in  a  most  thoroughly 
scientific  manner,  that  there  may  be  an  adequate  yield 
and  no  waste.  Some  parts  of  the  island  can  produce  far 
more  than  they  do  now,  and  others  should  be  given  a 
a  rest,  or  a  change,  which  is  rest. 

The  products  of  Porto  Rico  are  in  general  those  of  the 
entire  West  Indies,  where  tropical  fruits  grow  luxuri- 
antly. In  a  land  where  snow  or  frost  dare  not  touch  a 
living  thing,  —  shrub,  vine,  tender  shoot,  or  delicate 
flower,  — sun,  soil,  and  rain  unite  to  produce  marvelous 
results.  One  may  see  a  cane  field  five  miles  square,  or 
a  tobacco  patch  covering  the  whole  side  of  a  mountain 
from  base  to  summit.  According  to  the  returns  of  1899, 
81  out  of  289  sugar-cane  plantations  are  not  tinder  culti- 
vation. During  the  last  twenty  years  there  has  been  a 
decline  of  fifty  per  cent,  in  the  production  of  sugar. 
There  are  60,953  owners  of  sugar-cane  plantations. 
Aside  from  the  territory  where  the  great  staples  are 
cultivated,  there  are  on  the  island  22,000  farms  of  moder- 
ate size,  devoted  to  small  fruits  and  miscellaneous 
products.  Go  in  any  direction,  from  playa  land  to 
forest  line,  from  mountain  base  to  mountain  summit, 
from  river  bank  to  rolling  plain,  and  you  find  soil  that 


86  PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

can  be  cultivated.  Whatever  the  soil  is  given  to  do,  it 
does  right  royally.  Porto  Rico  is  the  only  island  of  the 
West  Indies  which  can  produce  sufficient  food  for  its 
own  support  and  provide  a  large  margin  for  export. 

SUGAR. 

Sugar  culture  was  imported  into  Porto  Rico  from 
the  Canary  Isles  three  hundred  years  ago.  The  planta- 
tions range  in  size  from  small  plots  up  to  seven  hundred, 
eight  hundred,  and  even  one  thousand  acres.  The  tend- 
ency has  been  in  recent  years  to  decrease  the  number 
.of  plantations  and  increase  the  size. 

The  pictures  of  sugar-cane  in  the  geographies  give  us 
an  impression  that  sugar  is,  and  must  be,  raised  much  like 
our  corn  or  maize.  When  we  get  to  Porto  Rico,  we  find 
that  the  sugar  plantations  there  are  in  reality  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  corn  fields  of  the  United  States.  If  we 
reach  the  island  some  time  between  October  and  Decem- 
ber, we  shall  be  there  in  time  to  see  the  planting  going 
on.  The  exact  time  of  planting  each  field  depends 
upon  the  dry  ness  of  the  soil. 

We  will  go  out  to  one  of  the  finest  plantations,  near  a 
foothill  of  the  southern  border  of  the  island,  and  there 
observe  just  what  is  done.  The  thrifty  owner  has  sepa- 
rated his  fields  into  oblong  patches,  with  roads  or  path- 
ways marking  the  division  lines.  The  cane  is  planted 
in  hills,  four  feet  apart.  Instead  of  dropping  kernels  or 
seeds  into  the  hills,  as  we  do  to  raise  corn,  cuttings  are 
set  in  the  ground.  The  two  upper  joints  are  detached 
from  the  stalk  of  cane,  and  these  slips  are  set  in  the 
furrows  made  by  the  plow.  Two  slips  are  planted  to- 
gether, ten  inches  deep.  The  top  of  each  shoot  is  left 


THE   THREE   GREAT  STAPLES.  87 

above  the  soil,  about  an  inch  of  the  green  tips  showing. 
When  once,  well  planted,  the  cane  will  take  care  of 
itself  for  ten  or  a  dozen  years,  since  the  roots  send  up 
retonos  or  shoots.  In  other  words,  the  sugar-cane  re- 
plants itself.  The  most  enterprising  farmers  replant, 
however,  once  in  every  four  or  five  years. 


CLEARING    A    CANE    FIELD. 


The  sugar-cane  grows  best  in  the  thick,  black  soil  of 
the  southern  coast.  This  soil  is  both  the  joy  and  the 
despair  of  the  sugar-planter.  It  enriches  his  crop ;  but 
when  the  cane  is  piled  on  the  large  tip  carts,  to  be  hauled 
to  market  or  the  mill,  it  must  be  dragged  through  mud 
as  heavy,  as  sticky,  and  as  deep  as  California  adobe  after 
a  rain. 

The  crop  is  gathered  some  time  between  January  and 
May,  An  occasional  stalk  may  be  found  as  tall  as 


88  PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

twenty  feet,  but  the  average  height  is  from  eight  to  ten 
feet.  The  weeds  and  grass  are  nearly  as  tall.  The 
sugar-cane  has  a  critical  moment  when  it  is  fully  ripe. 
It  must  then  be  cut,  or  a  part  of  its  value  is  lost.  The 
stalks  have  bloomed  and  have  ceased  to  grow.  The  cane 
now  contains  a  larger  amount  of  sugar  than  it  does  at  any 
other  time. 

Companies  of  men  and  boys  assemble  in  the  sweet- 
smelling  fields.  They  cut  the  stalks  down  close  to  the 
ground,  and  chop  them  into  lengths  of  some  four  or  five 
feet. 

Each  stalk  is  cut  separately  by  hand  with  a  machete. 
This  instrument,  which  is  used  in  Porto  Rico  for  many 
purposes,  was  invented  for  cutting  cane.  Its  long, 
straight,  sharp  blade,  slightly  curved  at  the  outer  edge, 
is  especially  adapted  to  its  purpose.  The  labor  is  per- 
formed by  peons,  whose  wages  average  about  fifty  cents 
a  day.  A  laborer  will  under  no  circumstances  do  more 
than  one  kind  of  work.  If  he  is  a  cane  loader,  he  will  do 
nothing  else.  If  his  business  is  to  hoe  cane,  he  will 
do  that  only. 

The  stalks  are  tied  into  bundles,  piled  upon  heavy 
ox  teams,  and  carried  to  the  mill.  On  the  smaller 
plantations  the  mills  are  kept  in  motion  by  oxen  or 
water,  but  the  one  we  shall  visit  is  more  modern,  and 
is  propelled  by  steam. 

At  the  mill  the  sugar-cane  is  crushed  between  heavy 
rollers  until  all  the  juice  is  squeezed  out.  The  juice  is 
boiled,  put  into  basins  to  cool,  and  there  it  becomes  sugar. 
After  cooling,  the  sugar  is  placed  in  hogsheads  with 
holes  in  the  bottom,  from  which  some  of  the  juice 
drips.  The  thick  brown  liquid  which  runs  out  through 


THE   THREE   GREAT  STAPLES.  89 

these  holes  is  molasses.  The  mass  of  brown  sugar 
remaining  is  then  treated  with  certain  substances  to  turn 
it  white,  and  after  passing  through  a  screen  it  becomes 
crystallized.  The  so-called  molasses  sugar  is  what  is 
left  after  the  molasses  has  been  separated;  this  is  re- 
fined into  granulated  sugar.  Some  cane  sugar  is  brown 
and  some  white ;  some  is  soft  and  some  hard ;  some  is 
in  the  form  of  powder  and  some  in  lumps,  —  but  it  has 
all  been  molasses  sugar,  and  it  all  came  originally  from 
the  juice  of  the  sugar-cane.  It  takes  fifteen  or  sixteen 
tons  of  cane  to  make  a  ton  of  sugar. 

Scattered  about  the  lowlands  may  be  seen  clusters  of 
buildings  and  long  sheds,  with  a  tall ""  factory  "  chimney 


CLEARING   A  CANE   FIELD   WITH   A   HARROW. 

rising  from  the  midst.  The  process  of  turning  the  cane 
into  sugar  is  carried  on  under  these  roofs.  Some  of  the 
mills  are  supplied  with  the  best  of  machinery  and  are 
built  on  an  ample  scale.  Yet  many  of  them  are  rude 
structures,  with  clumsy  means  for  grinding  the  cane. 
Now  that  Porto  Rico  has  come  into  American  hands,  the 


90  PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE    RICH    PORT. 

finest  machinery  of  the  day  will  be  put  to  work  in  devel- 
oping the  sugar  industry.  Steam  railways  and  electric 
lines  will  connect  the  plantations  with  the  ports.  The 
day  will  probably  come  when  the  cane  will  be  cut  by 
machinery,  conveyed  to  the  mill  by  electricity,  and  with 
the  aid  of  the  most  modern  appliances  the  refining  will 
be  done  quickly.  As  yet,  improvements  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  sugar  on  the  island  have  not  kept  pace  with  those 
in  other  sugar-producing  lands.  Increased  production 
of  sugar  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  especially  in  the 
Hawaiian  Islands,  has  brought  about  a  fall  in  prices,  caus- 
ing some  discouragement  among  the  plantation  owners. 
i  A  modern  sugar  plantation,  with  the  apparatus  avail- 
able for  cultivating  the  cane,  should  cover  two  thousand 
acres,  or  a  tract  of  land  twenty  times  as  large  as  a  New 
England  farm  of  average  size. 

Of  all  the  industries  in  Porto  Rico,  sugar  was  the  first 
to  feel  the  impulse  of  American  occupation,  under 
which  it  has  taken  a  new  lease  of  life.  With  an  up-to- 
date  knowledge  of  chemistry  and  engineering,  and  with 
sufficient  capital,  the  future  of  sugar  raising  is  very 
bright.  Already  the  tide  is  well  turned.  In  place  of  the 
abandoned  sugar  mills  and  those  wrecked  by  the  hurri- 
cane of  August,  1899,  modern,  well-equipped  buildings 
are  going  up,  and  a  new  era  has  set  in.  One  of  the  first 
sbeps  will  be  to  reclaim  waste  lands  and  relieve  others 
of  the  strain  to  which  they  have  been  put.  The  plant- 
ing of  refineries  in  the  sugar-producing  localities,  at  and 
near  the  important  ports,  will  give  a  new  incentive  to 
the  industry.  It  is  accepted  as  a  general  opinion  that 
the  yield  of  sugar  in  Porto  Rico  should  be  four  times  the 
present  amount. 


A  SUGAR   MILL   IN   MANATI. 


92  PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND  OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

Among  the  obstacles  to  be  met  with  in  the  cultivation 
of  sugar  is  a  disease  which  attacks  and  ruins  the  stalk  of 
the  cane.  Nor  has  a  remedy  yet  been  found  for  stopping 
the  ravages  among  the  young  plants  made  by  the  changa, 
a  kind  of  cricket.  Then,  too,  continuous  cultivation  has 
weakened  the  soil.  In  1879  the  output  of  sugar  was 
170,0.60  tons ;  in  1896  it  was  less  than  half  as  much,  in 
1898  it  was  less  than  a  third.  When  to  these  difficulties 
are  added  the  fall  in  prices,  with  the  cost  of  producing 
not  decreased,  the  waste  in  methods  of  manufacture,  the 
high  rate  of  interest  charged*  on  money  loaned,  and  the 
fact  that  many  Spaniards  took  away  their  capital  after 
the  war,  it  is  no  wonder  that  some  of  the  planters  have 
been  somewhat  disheartened. 

COFFEE. 

Rather  a  pleasing  story  is  told  of  the  introduction  of 
coffee  into  the  West  Indies.  Early  in  the  eighteenth 
century  the  cultivation  of  the  coffee  tree  was  almost 
entirely  controlled  by  the  Dutch.  In  1714,  a  citizen  in 
high  authority  at  Amsterdam  presented  King  Louis 
XIV.  of  France  with  a  single  coffee  plant.  Cuttings 
from  this  tree  were  sent  from  France  to  Martinique. 
In  those  days  the  journey  was  long,  and  the  supply  of 
water  on  the  ship  became  nearly  exhausted.  But  the 
man  in  charge  of  the  precious  plants  gave  up  half  his 
share  of  the  water  each  day  to  keep  them  from  wilting, 
and  when  he  reached  Martinique  they  were  safe  and 
sound.  The  coffee  found  its  way  from  there  to  Haiti 
and  later  to  Porto  Rico,  so  the  Porto  Rican  coffee  is 
descended  from  those  plants  in  Martinique. 

Coffee    grows  on  a  bush  which  reaches  a  height  of 


THE   THREE   GREAT   STAPLES.  93 

from  ten  to  twelve  feet.  Several  stems  spring  up  from 
a  single  root.  Branches  shoot  out  from  the  main  stem 
in  pairs,  bearing  a  slight  resemblance,  in  arrangement,  to 
fish  bones.  On  these  small  branches  the  blossoms,  and 
later  the  coffee  beans,  grow  in  bunches  so  close  to  the 
stem  that  they  look  as  if  they  might  have  been  fastened 
on  with  glue.  The  leaves  are  thick,  dark,  and  glossy. 
The  bushes  are,  in  general  appearance,  similar  to  laurel. 
They  are  set  in  regular  rows,  and  the  graceful  branches, 
with  their  trim  green  leaves,  their  snow-white  flowers, 
and  the  fruit,  —  first  green,  then  pink,  and  later  a 
brilliant  red,  —  form  a  most  charming  picture.  The 
berry,  when  ripe,  is  not  unlike  a  rather  small  cherry. 

After  the  young  tree  has  been  growing  for  about  four 
years  it  begins  to  bear.  The  yield  is  best  after  eight 
years'  growth,  though  the  berries  are  produced  annually 
for  upwards  of  twenty-five  years.  So  a  coffee  plantation 
is  as  valuable  a  property  as  is  a  large  apple  orchard  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  United  States. 

The  coffee  plant  is  delicate  and  must  be  cultivated  in 
the  shade.  Guava  and  mocha  trees  are  set  out  to  pro- 
tect the  plants  from  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun.  In 
many  cases  plantain  and  banana  trees  are  used,  especially 
during  the  early  years  of  the  growth  of  the  coffee  tree. 

The  berry  is  gathered  during  the  winter  months.  In 
the  early  morning,  any  time  between  October  and  Feb- 
ruary, a  father  and  mother  with  a  bevy  of  ragged 
children,  all  coffee  pickers,  may  be  seen  going  forth  to 
the  task  of  the  day.  The  taller  branches  are  too  high 
for  the  children  to  reach,  and  so  are  bent  down  and  the 
berries  picked  by  the  men  and  women.  The  branches  of 
medium  height  can  be  stripped  by  the  larger  children, 


94  PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

while  the  half-naked  little,  tots  gather  from  the  bushes 
nearest  the  ground.  The  small  baskets  of  berries  are 
emptied  into  larger  baskets  or  sacks. 

At  nightfall  the  busy  toilers  cease  their  work.  The 
grown  people  cany  away  on  their  heads  heavy  baskets 
filled  with  the  fruits  of  the  day's  labor,  the  little  folks 
walk  beside  them  with  smaller  baskets  on  their  arms. 
A  mother  balancing  a  bundle  of  coffee  on  her  head  and 
holding  in  her  arms  a  child  too  tired  to  walk  is  no  un- 
common sight.  Footsore  and  weary,  all  reach  the  plan- 
tation and  lay  down  the  day's  harvest,  then  go  to  their 
humble  dwellings  and  prepare  the  evening  meal.  The 
next  day  follows  with  the  same  routine,  and  so  it  con- 
tinues till  the  time  of  the  gathering  is  passed. 

The  coffee  is  dried,  at  least  on  the  great  plantations, 
by  being  spread  on  large  wooden  trays  which  can  be 
rolled  under  the  coffee  houses.  In  this  way  tiers  of 
trays  may  be  protected  from  sudden  rain.  Coffee  spread 
out  on  burlap  sacking  in  the  public  squares  is  a  common 
sight  among  the  smaller  hill  towns.  After  the  berry  is 
dried  the  husk  is  removed  by  crushing  in  large  wooden 
mortars,  the  coffee  bean  being  thus  set  free.  The  beans 
are  washed,  and  are  then  placed  in  well-ventilated  cham- 
bers in  the  drying  house,  where  the  coffee  is  thoroughly 
seasoned  and  made  ready  for  shipment. 

In  the  course  of  our  visit  to  the  island  we  shall 
frequently  see  half  a  dozen  slow,  patient  mules  doing 
heavy  freight  service.  More  often  than  not  they  are 
coming  down  the  mountain  slopes  of  the  Central  Cordil- 
leras into  the  streets  of  Yauco,  or  Mayaguez,  or  some 
other  town  on  the  coast,  carrying  huge  bags  of  coffee 
balanced  across  their  backs.  Or  we  may  notice  a  cum- 


THE   THREE   GREAT   STAPLES. 


95 


A  COFFEE  PLANTATION  IN  ADJUNTAS. 


bersome  cart  drawn  over  a  rough  trail  by  two  yoke  of 
oxen.  In  all  cases  the  direction  is  towards  the  sea. 
The  coffee  is  going  to  market. 

Coffee  is  the  most  profitable  agricultural  product  of 
Porto  Rico.  In  many  ways  it  is  the  most  desirable  crop 
for  the  island,  whose  inland  regions  are  mountainous 
and  can  thus  be  utilized.  Coffee  grows  best  at  an 
altitude  above  the  sea  of  more  than  a  thousand  feet.  It 
will  yield  five  hundred  pounds  to  the  acre  at  a  thousand 
feet,  from  six  to  eight  hundred  pounds  from  that  alti- 
tude to  twelve  hundred  feet,  while  with  elevations  above 
two  thousand  feet,  from  a  thousand  to  twelve  hundred 
pounds  an  acre  are  sometimes  obtained.  The  higher 
up  the  mountains  it  is  grown,  the  better  the  quality  of 
coffee  produced. 

Porto  Rican  coffee  has  no  superior  in  the  markets  of 
Europe.  It  is  held  in  high  favor  by  the  people  of  Italy, 


96  PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

Cu,ba,  and  Spain.  When  shipped  to  Mediterranean  ports 
a  chemical  is  added  which  gives  it  a  bluish  tint.  The 
best  brand  on  the  island  conies  from  Yauco,  a  name  which 
serves  as  the  trade-mark  of  Porto  Rican  coffee.  In  the 
American  market  it  ranks  with  Mocha  and  Java,  often 
being  sold  under  those  names  where  ignorance  of  the  real 
merits  of  "  Yauco  "  coffee  prevails. 

In  favorable  years  the  coffee  crop  is  worth  from  six  to 
ten  million  dollars.  The  production  per  acre  is  three 
hundred  pounds.  A  woman,  expert  in  the  art  of  picking, 
will  earn  sixty  cents  a  day  at  this  work,  or  thirty  cents 
for  each  hundred  pounds. 

TOBACCO. 

Tobacco  is  successfully  grown  only  in  a  rich  soil. 
As  it  weakens  the  productive  power  of  the  soil,  the 
ground  needs  to  be  enriched  each  year  by  strong  fertil- 
izers. The  great  tobacco  lands  are  in  the  Cayey  district. 
These  lands  are  not  cultivated  in  large  areas,  but  in 
small  patches  along  the  sides  of  the  inland  hills.  The 
low-lying  foothills  near  the  valley  levels  and  under  the 
shadows  of  the  more  rugged  mountains  furnish  good 
tobacco  fields. 

Between  the  months  of  July  and  November  we  may 
see  on  the  rounded  hillsides,  in  all  parts  of  the  island, 
little  patches  of  tobacco  seedlings  where  the  plants  are 
beginning  to  grow.  Early  in  November  the  larger  hills 
are  stripped  of  their  creeping  vines  and  other  plants  and 
bushes,  by  groups  of  peasants  dressed  in  white  and 
armed  with  broad-edged  hoes.  It  is  said  that  as  one 
passes  over  the  great  military  highway  this  scene  ex- 
tends so  nearly  in  all  directions  that  the  landscape 


THE   THREE   GREAT   STAPLES.  97 

appears  as  a  map,  with  people  in  white  moving  like 
mere  specks  over  the  various  sections. 

The  tobacco  leaf  is  ready  for  cutting  by  the  middle 
or  last  of  March.  Through  constant  care  and  labor  the 
weeds  have  been  kept  down,  and  the  cutworms  in  their 
tiny  cells  have  been  destroyed.  The  leaves  are  gath- 
ered, carried  to  the  drying  houses  or  into  long,  low 
sheds  on  the  hillsides,  lengthwise  with  the  slope.  Forty 
days  of  drying  make  the  tobacco  ready  for  export.  The 
work  engages  young  and  old ;  it  gives  employment  to 
both  men  and  women,  as  well  as  to  boys  and  girls. 

The  sheds  for  drying  tobacco  are  usually  built  of 
bamboo  or  palm.  They  are  thatched  or  roofed  with 
long  palm  leaves  so  arranged  that  there  may  be  a  free 
circulation  of  air.  Sometimes  the  palm-leaf  thatching 
is  as  much  as  a  foot  thick,  to  keep  the  rain  from  soaking 
through  and  spoiling  the  tobacco.  Under  the  eaves, 
between  the  bamboo  posts  and  the  palm  leaves,  an  open 
space  is  left  on  the  gable  ends  of  the  long  shed.  The 
tobacco  is  dried  on  long  poles  which  extend  from  one 
end  of  the  shed  to  the  other,  just  below  the  roof  and  on 
a  line  with  the  open  spaces. 

In  preparation  for  drying,  the  tobacco  leaves  are  cut 
from  the  stem  in  pairs,  a  piece  of  the  stem  sufficient  to 
hold  the  two  leaves  together  being  cut  for  each  pair. 
Pairs  of  the  very  largest  leaves  are  hung  over  the  poles 
one  layer  deep,  as  closely  as  they  can  be  placed.  On 
top  of  each  pair  of  the  large  leaves  a  pair  a  little  smaller 
is  placed,  then  a  still  smaller  pair  on  top  of  that, 
and  so  on,  until  the  pile  is  a  certain  specified  number 
of  leaves  deep.  When  the  tobacco  is  dry  each  pile  of 
leaves,  comprising  one  pair  of  leaves  of  each  size,  is  tied 


98  PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

up  in  a  bundle  by  itself.  A  certain  number  of  bundles 
makes  a  bale. 

Before  the  leaves  are  hung  on  the  poles  to  dry  they 
are  carefully  picked  over,  all  wormy  or  broken  leaves 
being  separated  from  the  rest.  The  perfect  leaves  can 
be  used  for  the  outside  layer  of  cigars,  while  the  broken 
and  wormy  ones  are  suitable  only  for  the  inside. 

In  the  estimation  of  the  people,  tobacco  stands  third 
in  commercial  value.  As  long  ago  as  1846  seven  mil- 
lion pounds  were  shipped  abroad.  The  highest  figure 
of  recent  years  was  in  1880,  when  12,188,000  pounds 
were  raised  in  the  island.  In  some  years,  as  in  1896, 
the  output  fell  off.  The  decrease  in  exportation  is 
partly  due  to  the  large  quantities  of  tobacco  raised  in 
Cuba  and  the  fame  of  the  Havana  brand,  and  partly  to 
the  destructiveness  of  occasional  hurricanes.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  most  of  the  crop  of  tobacco  in  Porto  Rico 
will  in  coming  years  be  brought  to  the  United  States. 

Columbus  is  said  to  be  the  first  European  to  see  to- 
bacco. He  found  it  in  Cuba,  where  the  natives  smoked 
it,  rolling  it  up  in  tubes  and  inhaling  the  smoke  through 
their  nostrils.  The  Spanish  government  was  originally 
opposed  to  smoking,  and  two  bulls  were  issued  by  the 
Pope  excommunicating  any  one  who  used  the  weed.  In 
1608  a  royal  decree  prohibited  its  cultivation,  but  in 
1634  planting  was  started  once  more.  By  1770  the 
production  had  reached  2,000,000  pounds  annually. 


OTHER   TROPICAL    PLANTS.  99 


CHAPTER   IX. 

OTHER  TROPICAL  PLANTS. 

FRUITS. 

THE  Aladdin's  lamp  of  the  vegetable  world  is  certainly 
the  banana.  If  all  that  Aladdin  had  to  do  to  get  what 
he  wished  was  to  rub  the  magic  lamp,  all  that  the  Porto 
Ricans  need  to  do  to  gain  wealth  is  to  plant  banana 
shoots.  The  trees  will  renew  themselves,  and  after  the 
second  year  the  owner  of  a  banana  plantation  has  only  to 
pick  and  ship  the  bananas,  and  receive  his  pay  for  the 
fruit.  There  is  no  plant  requiring  less  attention,  and 
yet  the  banana  grows  on  the  island  in  eight  varieties, 
from  the  large  triangular-shaped  cooking  variety,  twenty 
inches  long,  to  the  tiny  form  known  as  "lady's  fingers." 
At  the  present  time  about  two  billion  bananas  are 
shipped  from  Porto  Rico  each  year.  The  number  could 
be  greatly  increased.  The  sister  fruit  of  the  banana, 
the  plantain,  is  cultivated  principally  by  the  poorer 
classes.  It  is  most  commonly  eaten  after  being  baked 
over  a  hot  fire,  when  it  is  both  agreeable  and  nourishing. 

The  oranges  of  Porto  Rico  are  delicious.  They  are 
large,  juicy,  and  sweet,  and  they  have  a  delicate  flavor. 
The  prices  paid  for  them  seem  to  us  ridiculously  small. 
Some  time  since,  an  American  is  said  to  have  pur- 
chased a  whole  shipload  of  them  at  two  dollars  a  thou- 
sand. Imagine  buying  the  finest  of  oranges  at  the  rate 
of  ten  cents  a  hundred  !  Orange  trees  may  be  seen  every- 


100 


PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 


where,  but  they  grow  best  in  the  mountain  districts. 
The  fruit  is  at  its  height  in  January,  February,  and 
March.  Between  six  and  eight  million  oranges  were 
shipped  to  the  United  States  in  1898,  from  the  port  of 


BRINGING    BANANAS  TO   MARKET. 


Mayaguez  alone,  bringing  an  average  return  of  four 
dollars  a  thousand. 

Destructive  frosts  sometimes  ruin  the  Florida  orange 
crop.  No  such  enemy  is  to  be  feared  in  sunny  Porto 
Rico.  San  Juan  and  Ponce  are  as  near  New  York  as  is 
Southern  California,  and  the  flavor  of  their  oranges  is 
finer  than  hers.  The  orange  markets  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean are  two  thousand  miles  farther  from  American 
ports,  and  Porto  Rico  is  therefore  certain  to  diminish 
our  trade  with  that  region.  In  juiciness  and  sweetness 


OTHER   TROPICAL   PLANTS. 


101 


the  oranges  of  the  West  Indies  are  as  fine  as  any  that 
come  to  the  United  States. 

The  most  luscious  pineapples  in  the  world  are  found 
in  Porto  Rico.  The  West  Indies  are  the  n.ilive  land  of 
this  queen  of  the  fruits.  It  was  discovered  by  the  Span- 
iards, growing  wild  in  the  Bahamas.  It  is  not  very 
particular  as  to  its  exact  locality,  only  give  it  light  and 
a  sandy,  gravelly  soil,  and  it  will  flourish.  Pineapple 
plants  are  set  in  rows  from  three  to  six  feet  apart.  An, 


ORANGE    GROVE    IN    MAYAGUEZ. 


acre  of  ground  will  thus  support  some  thirty-five  hun- 
dred plants.  There  is  a  fine  outlook  for  this  industry 
in  the  island. 

The  natives  of  Porto  Rico  hold  the  breadfruit  in  high 
favor.  Although  it  has  been  raised  there  but  a  hundred 
years,  it  is  so  abundant  as  to  be  the  sugar  planter's  terror, 


102         PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 


for  when  this  fruit  is  ripe  the  negroes  are  not  inclined 
to  work.  They  can  live  so  easily  upon  breadfruit  that 
they  do  not  consider  it  worth  while  to  work  hard  all 
day,  just  for  the  sake  of  earning  money. 

No  list  of  Porto  Rican 
fruits  would  be  complete 
without  reference  to  the 
mango.  The  fruit  is 
called  "  General  Mango  " 
by  the  Cubans,  who 
claim  that  this  tree  has 
killed  more  Spanish  sol- 
diers than  all  their  gen- 
erals put  together.  It  is 
said  that  the  danger 
comes  from  eating  the 
fruit  in  an  unripe  state. 

The  mango  is  wholesome  when  perfectly  ripe,  but  no 
one  who  eats  it  unripe  can  escape  death  if  attacked 
with  yellow  fever.  The  mango  tree  itself  is  attractive 
and  beautiful.  Like  the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  Gar- 
den of  Eden,  it  is  "good  for  food  "  and  "a  delight  to 
the  eyes,"  but  often  one  learns  wisdom  when  it  is  too 
late. 

Other  fruits  which  flourish  are  the  lime,  lemon,  citron, 
fig,  date,  guava  (from  which  the  delicious  guava  jelly  is 
made),  custard  apple,  tamarind,  alligator  pear,  quenepa, 
lechosa,  and  mamey. 

The  cocoanut  grows  in  all  parts  of  the  island.  The 
fruit,  which  is  large  and  has  a  tine  flavor,  is  found  at  its 
best  along  the  sandy  coast.  Many  of  the  cocoa  palms 
grow  so  near  the  ocean  that  the  nuts  fall  into  the  water. 


THE    GUAVA. 


OTHER   TROPICAL   PLANTS. 


103 


They  are  driven  by  the  wind  to  other  parts  of  the  globe, 
where  they  take  root  in  the  soil  arid  grow.  It  is  said 
that  the  cocoanut  tree  lives  a  hundred  years,  grows  a 
hundred  feet  tall,  bears  annually  a  hundred  nuts,  and 
has  a  hundred  uses  for  man. 

The  tall,  straight  stem  of  the  cocoa  palm  is  capped  by 
a  circle  of  featherlike  leaves  that  grow  to  be  eighteen  or 
twenty  feet  long.  The  flowers,  small  and  white,  are 
found  on  a  long  stem.  The  nuts  grow  in  bunches  of 
eighteen  or  twenty.  When  ripe  they  are  apt  to  fall  from 
the  top  of  the  tree  with  such  force  that  any  one  beneath 
is  in  danger  of  receiving  a  severe  blow  on  the  head. 
Most  of  us  know  the  cocoanut,  with  its  hard  shell,  sweet 
milk,  and  meat.  The  nut  is  covered  with  a  fibrous  rind 
or  husk.  The  meat  is 
used  in  making  candy 
and  cake,  and  yields 
the  valuable  cocoanut 
oil.  The  milk  serves, 
where  the  cocoa  palm 
grows,  as  a  slightly 
acid,  refreshing 
drink.  The  shell  is 
capable  of  being 
highly  polished,  and 
is  used  for  drinking 
cups  and  other  uten- 
sils. The  firm  part 
of  the  trunk  is  the 

so-called  porcupine  wood,  which  is  very  hard  and  dura- 
ble, and  is  used  for  all  kinds  of  turned  articles,  and 
especially  for  inlaid  woods. 


THE   MANGO. 


104         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 


OTHER  FOOD  CROPS. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  rice,  corn,  and  other  products 
of  the  soil,  once  raised  in  large  quantities  in  the  island, 
are  now  imported  to  some  extent  from  other  countries. 
Maize,  or  Indian  corn,  is  native  to  the  soil,  and  three 


A  COCOANUT    FARM    IN    MAYAGUEZ. 


crops  may  be  raised  on  the  same  ground  in  a  year.  In 
some  districts  it  is  grown  for  the  leaves  and  stalks,  which 
are  used  for  feeding  horses.  It  will  grow  at  almost  any 
height  above  the  ocean,  in  any  kind  of  nourishing  soil, 
and  is,  in  fact,  the  poor  man's  friend.  The  ordinary 
cereals,  such  as  oats,  barley,  and  wheat,  do  not  flourish 
in  the  island.  Consequently,  breadstuffs  and  flour  must 
be  imported.  Under  proper  cultivation  the  yield  of  rice 
is  very  abundant.  The  amount  grown  in  recent  years 


OTHER   TROPICAL    PLANTS. 


105 


has  been  limited,  because  Spain  discouraged  its  being 
raised,  in  order  to  increase  the  amount  imported  from 
the  mother  country. 

The  vegetables  of  Porto  Rico  are  of  fine  quality.  The 
small  gardener 
may  raise  sev- 
eral crops  a  year, 
delivering  them 
to  the  market 
at  good  profit. 
The  sweet  po- 
tato is  the  great 
vegetable  prod- 
uct, and,  next  to 
the  banana  and 
plantain,  fur- 
nishes the  main 
article  of  food 
for  the  poorer 
people.  Upon 
the  mountain 
slopes,  where 
the  land  is  not 
used  for  more 
profitable  crops, 
the  soil  is  given 
up  to  sweet  po- 
tatoes and  yams.  The  Irish  potato  does  not  grow 
well,  because  of  the  great  amount  of  moisture  in  the 
soil. 

In  general,  any  vegetables  which  do  not  require  a  par- 
ticularly dry  soil  may  be  raised  in  the  island.     These  in- 


GATHERING   COCOANUTS. 


106        PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

elude  the  eggplant,  beet,  tomato,  cabbage,  turnip,  water- 
melon, radish,  celery,  and  squash. 

Two  kinds  of  a  native  vegetable  called  cassava  are 
raised,  the  sweet  and  the  bitter.  The  sweet  cassava  is 
widely  used.  Bitter  cassava  has  in  its  fiber  a  poisonous 
matter  which  can  be  driven  out  only  by  heat,  yet  from  it 
a  fine  quality  of  tapioca  is  obtained.  It  seems  strange 
that  from  a  poisonous  plant  anything  so  nutritious  and 
healthful  as  tapioca  can  be  taken.  Although  the  fiber 
contains  poisonous  sap,  the  tapioca  is  made  from  the 
root.  The  root  is  dried  upon  hot  plates,  and  in  the 
process  any  poison  within  it  is  driven  off.  The  heat 
makes  the  starch  grains  swell  so  that  many  of  them  burst. 
The  whole  forms  the  small  irregular  masses  or  lumps 
which  we  buy  of  the  grocer  under  the  name  of  tapioca. 
Starch  is  often  made  from  cassava,  and  also  from  a 
plant  known  as  the  eddoe,  which  is  a  favorite  food 
product ;  its  roots  are  an  article  of  food  and  prepared 
as  we  prepare  potatoes.  Arrowroot,  now  so  success- 
fully cultivated  in  the  Bermudas,  promises  to  become  a 
valuable  product  in  Porto  Rico. 

Spice  raising  might  be  made  much  more  profitable  in 
Porto  Rico  than  it  is  at  the  present  time.  Nutmeg,  pep- 
per, clove,  cinnamon,  and  vanilla,  all  find  the  soil  of 
the  island  suitable  to  their  growth.  The  pimento,  from 
the  berry  of  which  we  get  our  allspice,  thrives  in  poor 
soil  and  in  a  hot,  dry  atmosphere.  The  tree  grows  wild 
in  many  of  the  West  India  Islands,  and  under  proper 
conditions  it  yields  excellent  returns.  A  grove  of 
pimentoes  forms  a  beautiful  picture,  the  trees  reaching 
some  thirty  feet  in  height.  Their  stems  are  smooth  and 
clean  and  the  branches  are  covered  with  glossy  leaves. 


OTHER   TROPICAL   PLANTS.  107 

Cotton  might  be  raised  with  profit,  although  at  present 
there  are  no  real  cotton  plantations  in  the  island.  The 
plant  grows  along  the  coast,  arid  the  product  is  as  good 
as  the  best  raised  in  our  own  Southern  states. 

MEDICINAL  PLANTS  AND  DYES. 

The  natives  of  Porto  Rico  claim  that  twenty- eight 
species  of  medicinal  plants  may  be  raised  in  the  island. 
Certain  herbs  and  shrubs  which  grow  wild  in  the  forests, 

and  are  now  gathered 
by  women  and  children 
and  sold  to  the  apothe- 
cary, might  be  made 
serviceable  for  export. 
From  the  seed  of  the 
castor  bean,  or  Palma 
Ckristi,  castor  oil  is 
made.  Cocaine,  used  to 
deaden  pain,  comes  from 
the  dried  leaves  of  the 

THE  BLOSSOM  OF  THE  CLOVE  TREE. 

coca.     Attempts  to  raise 

the  cinchona  tree,  from  which  quinine  is  obtained,  give 
promise  of  success. 

Certain  important  vegetable  dyes  grow  in  the  island. 
The  method  of  obtaining  the  valuable  dye  known  as 
indigo  is  rather  interesting.  The  substance  comes  from 
a  plant,  which  is  bruised  and  fermented  in  water.  A 
blue  material  which  collects  in  the  tub  or  vat,  is  dried 
in  cakes  or  lumps,  making  the  indigo.  Annatto,  a  wild 
plant,  produces  the  rich  yellow  dye  used  for  coloring 
butter.  The  plant  has  gorgeous  red-and-yellow  bristly 
pods,  which  burst  open  when  ripe,  showing  the  tiny 


108        PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

seeds.  From  the  seeds  the  dye  is  made.  In  early  times 
the  native  Indians  used  this  yellow  dye  to  color  their 
skins.  Logwood  produces  a  deep  red  color.  England 
imports  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  logwood  a  year  from 
Porto  Rico's  near  neighbor,  Jamaica. 

FLOWERS. 

Porto  Ricans  are  fond  of  flowers.  The  climate  is  so 
uniform,  and  there  is  so  much  moisture,  that  flowers 
grow  in  great  abundance  and  in  almost  countless 
varieties.  Great  bunches  of  roses  can  be  bought  for  a 
few  cents.  A  whole  armful  of  tuberoses  or  gladioli 
may  be  purchased  for  a  dime.  A  dozen  camellias  cost 
less  than  does  a  single  flower  in  New  York.  Roses, 
heliotropes,  begonias,  lilies,  azaleas,  arid  rhododendrons 
have  been  imported  from  Europe.  More  than  a  hundred 
varieties  of  the  orchid  alone  are  found. 

Everybody  who  can  afford  it  has  a  garden  plot.  Some 
of  these  are  arranged  with  charming  taste.  The  most 
elaborate  gardens  are  adorned  with  fountains  and  statues, 
arbors,  hedges,  and  walks.  One  of  the  favorite  pastimes 
of  the  children  is  making  wreaths  and  garlands,  which 
the  little  folks  wear  as  they  play  on  the  verandas  of 
their  homes,  or  in  the  yards. 

Governor  Allen,  writing  from  San  Juan  in  May,  1901, 
says  that,  while  the  chief  dependence  of  the  island  is 
agriculture  and  stock  raising,  there  is  no  reason  why 
manufactures  should  not  flourish.  He  believes  that 
nothing  but  the  finished  products  should  leave  Porto 
Rico.  The  island  can  sell  to  the  world  coffee  ready  for 
the  consumer's  use,  refined  sugar  and  molasses,  chocolate 
and  all  its  products,  canned  fruits  equal  to  those  of  Cali- 


FORESTS  AND   MINERALS.  109 

fornia,  and  many  other  things  which  will  bring  in 
money  enough,  not  only  to  support  the  present  number 
of  people,  but  five  times  as  many.  It  really  is  no  won- 
der that  Porto  Rico  is  called  the  garden  of  the  earth. 


CHAPTER  X. 

FORESTS  AND  MINERALS. 

THERE  is  a  law  in  Porto  Rico  that  every  one  who  cuts 
down  a  tree  shall  plant  three  others.  Like  many  other 
laws  in  the  island,  this  one  has  fallen  into  neglect.  But 
that  such  a  law  should  be  enforced  is  evident  from  the 
appearance  of  the  country  in  many  places. 

At  first  sight  the  aspect  of  the  island  is  that  of  an 
open  wooded  landscape.  On  the  slopes  of  the  hills, 
along  the  sides  of  the  roads,  around  every  shanty,  and 
throughout  the  great  coffee  plantations,  are  many  trees, 
a  few  of  which  are  the  remnants  of  the  ancient  forests. 
Only  a  few  timber-making  trees  have  been  spared  the 
woodman's  axe. 

In  his  "  Forest  Conditions  of  Porto  Rico,"  Mr.  R.  T. 
Hill  says  that  Porto  Rico  was  originally  completely 
covered  with  forests,  from  the  level  of  the  sea  to  the  top 
of  the  highest  mountains.  Scarcely  a  square  foot  of  its 
area  was  without  its  tree  growth,  varying  in  height  from 
the  small  mangrove  bushes  which  border  the  seashore,  to 
the  gigantic  trees  mingled  with  the  trunks  of  towering 
palms,  which  add  height  to  the  loftiest  peaks  and  ridges. 

When  Columbus  first  looked  upon  the  island  it  was 
densely  wooded,  with  here  and  there  a  clearing  made  by 


110         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

the  Indians.  With  few  exceptions,  no  extensive  forests 
are  now  to  be  found  in  the  island.  A  few  acres  are 
preserved  here  and  there  in  the  Sierra  de  Cayey  and 
the  Cordillera  Central,  especially  between  Aibonito  and 
Adjuntas.  These  small  patches  will  not  amount  to  ten 
square  miles  of  standing  timber,  and  have  been  largely 
deprived  of  their  most  valuable  trees.  There  is  also  a 


UNDER   THE    SPREADING    PALM. 


small  area  of  forest  preserved  in  the  pepino  hills  near 
Aguadilla,  upon  a  piece  of  land  belonging  to  the  govern 
ment.  There  may  be  a  few  more  acres  elsewhere.  In 
general,  the  mountains  are  stripped  of  their  forests, 
although  some  excellent  trees  still  stand,  just  as  walnut 
trees  are  found  preserved  in  the  deforested  regions  of 
the  United  States. 


FORESTS  AND    MINERALS.  Ill 

Upon  the  summit  of  El  Yunque  a  portion  of  the 
original  forest  has  been  retained.  At  this  height  — 
thirty-six  hundred  feet  —  constant  moisture  prevails, 
which  is  favorable  to  the  growth  of  trees.  Steep  and 
rugged  trails  through  red  clay  and  mud,  almost  impas- 
sable, make  it  somewhat  difficult  for  the  woodman  to 
reach  the  highest  peaks  in  order  to  level  the  trees. 
These  trees  are  of  great  value,  being  of  hard  wood  varie- 
ties, such  as  Spanish  cedar  and  ebony,  and  some  species 
unknown  in  the  American  markets. 

Of  all  the  trees  of  Porto  Rico,  the  most  graceful,  the 
most  stately,  the  most  useful,  is  the  cocoanut  palm.  It 
grows  along  the  playa  plains,  it  borders  the  fields  of 
sugar-cane,  it  towers  above  the  lesser  growths  in  the 
gardens  of  the  rich  and  it  shelters  the  huts  of  the  poor. 
The  palm  is  the  tree  of  the  rich  and  the  poor  alike,  a  tie 
between  them ;  to  the  former  an  ornament,  to  the  latter 
it  is  meat,  drink,  and  shelter. 

The  wood  when  dried  is  made  into  chairs,  tables,  and 
cabinets,  its  grain  being  very  beautiful  and  capable  of  a 
high  polish.  It  is  shaped  into  boats  and  tubs.  From 
the  stalks  of  the  leaves  combs  are  made.  The  leafstalks 
are  also  used  in  making  mats,  hats,  and  baskets,  while  the 
fibrous  material  near  the  center  is  fashioned  into  sieves 
and  woven  into  fabrics  for  personal  wear.  From  the 
roots  of  the  palm  is  extracted  a  remedy  for  fevers,  and 
from  its  flowers  an  astringent.  "  From  the  fruit  or  nut, 
besides  the  delicious  water  and  jelly  it  contains  when 
green,  comes  the  copra,  or  kernel,  which  is  dried  and 
yields  fifty  per  cent  of  its  weight  in  pure  oil,  after  which 
the  refuse  is  valuable  for  manure  as  well  as  for  fowl  and 
cattle  food."  From  the  outer  husk  of  the  cocoanut  a 


112        PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

fiber  is  prepared,  called  coir,  which  is  manufactured  into 
ropes,  brooms,  brushes,  bedding,  etc. ;  the  shells  are  use- 
ful as  lamps,  cups,  spoons,  and  scoops.  In  fact,  one 
might  go  on  enumerating  the  various  articles  used  in 
the  primitive  domestic  life  of  the  tropical  native,  and 
find  nearly  all  supplied  by  the  cocoa  palm. 

"  Another  native  palm,  found  farther  up  in  the  hills 
and  mountains,  is  the  beautiful  oreodoxa,  tallest  of  the 
tribe,  which  sometimes  attains  a  height  of  150  feet. 
All  the  palms,  .and  particularly  this  one,  are  cele- 
brated for  their  - 4  cabbage,'  or  terminal  bud,  which 
is  a  delicious  morsel  when  divested  of  its  outer  wrap- 
pings and  boiled  like  cauliflower  or  cabbage.  To  make 
use  of  it,  implies,  of  course,  the  destruction  of  the  tree ; 
but  it  is  a  matter  of  little  consequence  to  a  hungry  na- 
tive, with  a  forest  full  of  palms,  who  only  considers 
the  labor  necessary  to  cut  down  the  tree,  and  not  the 
injury  he  does  to  the  landscape.  This  vandalism  is  not 
confined  to  the  Spanish  islands,  for  there  was  once  a 
planter  in  the  English  island  of  Barbados  who,  when 
the  question  arose  as  to  the  height  of  a  magnificent 
palm  on  his  estate,  ordered  it  cut  down,  that  he  might 
ascertain  to  a  certainty.  He  wagered  that  it  would 
measure  over  150  fifty  feet ;  and  he  won  the  wager,  but 
he  lost  the  palm." 

There  are  certain  other  varieties  of  the  palm  growing 
on  the  island,  most  of  them  imported,  such  as  the  sago 
and  date.  The  date  palm  is  the  admiration  of  all  who 
see  it.  It  has  never  been  cultivated  in  Porto  Rico  for 
commercial  purposes,  but  with  care  it  might  be  made  to 
yield  a  rich  return. 

The  palm  most  highly  prized  by  the  Porto  Ricans  for 


FORESTS   AND   MINERALS. 


113 


ornamental  purposes  is  the  "royal  palm."  The  upper 
end  of  the  trunk  of  this  tree  is  a  delicate,  pointed,  green 
shoot  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  long.  About  once  a  month 
a  bunch  of  fruit  some  eighteen  inches  long  grows  out  at 
the  base  of  this 
end  portion.  It 
is  full  of  small 
green,  olive- 
shaped  nuts, 
serviceable  for 
swine  only. 

Clusters  of 
the  feathery 
bamboo  may 
be  seen  grow- 
ing  every- 
where. The 
peasant  uses 
its  stem  to 
bind  his  palm- 
leaf  roof. 
Larger  sec- 
tions serve 
him  for  fence 
posts.  The 
thickest  of  the 
stems  he  sells 
for  telegraph 
poles. 

The  tamarind  is  a  large  and  feathery  tree  of  the  great 
acacia  family,  resembling  our  own  locust  in  leaf  and 
fruit.  It  is  found  on  the  plains  and  in  the  deepest  woods. 


ROYAL    PALMS. 


114         PORTO    RICO:    THE   LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

Its  fruit  is  used  in  the  making  of  confectionery  and 
jelly,  and  the  juice,  diluted,  furnishes  an  agreeable 
drink. 

The  wax  of  the  wax  tree,  found  along  the  river  banks 
and  on  the  coast  plains,  is  used  by  the  natives  in  the 
making  of  candles. 

The  pawpaw  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  trees  of 
the  island.  It  reaches  a  height  of  from  forty  to  fifty 
feet.  It  has  no  solid  branches,  but  sends  out  spreading 
leaves  which  form  a  crown  at  the  top.  Large  clusters 
of  fruit  grow  in  the  angle  of  the  leaf  where  it  is  joined 
to  the  trunk.  The  fruit  is  green  at  first,  afterwards 
turning  yellow  within  and  without.  The  inner  rind 
tastes  somewhat  like  the  muskmelon.  The  fruit  is  used 
for  medicinal  purposes  and  for  jam  and  preserves. 

The  bixa  tree,  common  along  the  plains,  is  used  for 
dyeing  wool,  cotton,  and  other  fabrics,  and  is  also  em- 
ployed in  making  a  kind  of  cloth. 

From  the  short  trunk  of  the  emajagua  many  long, 
straight  twigs  sprout  forth,  from  which  ropes  and  cord- 
age are  made  for  rigging  the  native  boats. 

Other  trees  which  aid  in  the  welfare  of  the  people 
are  the  guanabana,  used  for  curing  fever;  the  higuera, 
whose  gourdlike  fruit  serves  for  plates,  pitchers,  and 
spoons,  and  most  of  the  kitchen  utensils  of  the  poor ; 
the  tabanuco,  which  yields  a  valuable  resin;  the  enor- 
mous ceiba  tree,  from  which  canoes  fifty  feet  long  and 
ten  feet  wide  were  made  ;  and  the  mayama  or  mamey, 
which  resembles  the  magnolia  in  shape  and  in  waxlike 
gloss,  and  which  produces  a  delicious  melonlike  fruit. 
The  reddish  brown  ausubo,  noted  for  its  durability,  sup- 
plies the  frames  of  houses  and  wagon  spokes.  It  is  the 


FORESTS   AND    MINERALS.  115 

most  abundant  of  the  hard  woods,  and  resembles  teak. 
Two  varieties  of  the  Spanish  cedar  are  occasionally 
found.  A  twelve-inch  cedar  plank,  one  inch  thick  and 
twelve  feet  long,  will  bring,  in  the  mountains,  one  dollar. 

Among  the  hard  woods  are  mahogany,  ebony,  laurel, 
willow,  and  an  odorless  kind  of  sandalwood.  The 
present  supply  of  useful  trees  is  not  equal  to  the  demand. 
The  older  buildings  are  constructed  of  native  woods, 
but  the  houses  of  recent  date  are  of  hemlock,  spruce,  and 
pine,  imported  from  Nova  Scotia.  The  few  sawmills  in 
the  island  are  principally  employed  in  cutting  up  cedar 
wood  for  cigar  boxes,  and  in  the  making  of  ausubo 
wagon  wheels. 

One  of  Porto  Rico's  numerous  names  is  "  The  Isle  of 
the  Gate  of  Gold."  How  much  of  a  gold  field  the  is- 
land really  is,  no  one  can,  at  the  present  time,  say.  It 
certainly  contains  no  such  wealth  of  gold  as  California, 
Australia,  or  Alaska.  Nor  has  it  probably  in  any  sense 
ever  equaled  its  neighbor,  Santo  Domingo,  whose  gold- 
bearing  river  Columbus  named  Rio  del  Oro,  the  River  of 
Gold.  What  he  found  in  the  bed  of  the  river  was  but 
the  washings  from  the  great  gold  storehouses  among  the 
inland  mountains.  To  this  day  a  native  of  Santo 
Domingo  will  show  the  stranger  a  handful  of  gold  dust 
which  he  has  obtained  by  washing  with  a  wooden  dish. 

The  dazzling  reputation  gained  by  Porto  Rico  in  early 
times  was  no  doubt  due  to  its  supposed  treasures  of  gold. 
When  Ponce  de  Leon  landed  on  the  island  in  1509, 
gold  was  brought  him  from  the  river  beds.  But  that 
the  rivers  "  poured  down  sands  of  gold  "  is  rather  beyond 
belief.  A  history  of  Porto  Rico  written  in  1788  states 
that  signs  of  gold  had  been  found  in  many  districts  of 


116        PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

the  island,  and  gold-bearing  sands  in  such  rivers  as 
Luquillo  and  Mayaguez.  Should  gold  really  exist  in 
any  quantity,  the  island's  new  possessors  will  surely 
find  it  out. 

It  was  recently  reported  that  gold  had  been  found  in 
the  upper  portions  of  El  Yunque  and  also  in  the  region 
south  of  San  Juan,  near  Corozal.  The  inhabitants  of 
certain  towns  have  long  been  bringing  in  small  quan- 
tities of  gold  dust,  to  exchange  for  needed  household 
goods.  To  find  the  precious  material  the  native  dives 
into  the  water,  seizes  it,  and  brings  it  to  the  surface  in 
his  clenched  fists.  It  is  then  panned  out  on  the  banks 
of  the  stream. 

General  Sanger  says,  in  his  recent  census  report,  that, 
while  many  valuable  mines  have  been  found  in  Porto 
Rico,  and  while  good  mines  were  long  ago  worked  by 
Spaniards,  no  mining  is  carried  on  at  the  present  time. 
Yet  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  a  geological  exami- 
nation may  develop  notable  mineral  resources. 


CHAPTER  XL 
ANIMALS,  INSECTS,   AND  FISH. 

IT  seems  strange  to  any  one  acquainted  with  the 
animal  life  of  such  sections  of  the  United  States  as  the 
Adirondack  or  Rocky  Mountains,  that  the  largest  native 
quadruped  of  Porto  Rico  is  a  little  creature  no  larger 
than  a  rabbit.  The  agouti,  as  it  is  called,  belongs  to 
the  rodent  family.  It  is  timid,  inoffensive,  and  sensi- 
tive to  danger.  The  animal  may  be  found  upon  the 


ANIMALS,    INSECTS,   AND   FISH. 


117 


stony  mountain  sides  or  at  the  edges  of  the  woods, 
where  it  may  be  recognized  by  its  dark  brown  coat  of 
shiny  hair. 

The  wild  animals  which  came  originally  from  other 
countries,  but  which  have  been  in  the  island  for  many 
generations,  are  more  curious  than  dangerous.  Many 
years  ago  the  mongoose  was  transported  by  the  British 
government  from  India  to  rid  Jamaica  of  rats.  A 
Spanish  official  brought  some  of  the  animals  from 
Jamaica  over  to  Ponce.  y,^N.,  They  flourish  ex- 
ceedingly in 
the  island, 
and  are  so 
destructive 
that  they  are 
a  lawful  tar- 
get for  any- 
body who  has 
a  gun. 

The  arma- 
dillo is  occa- 
sionally seen. 
This  curious 

animal,  instead  of  drawing  in  head  and  feet  in  time  of 
danger  as  the  tortoise  does,  rolls  himself  up  into  a  ball 
so  that  his  body  is  completely  surrounded  by  the  horny 
plates  which  give  him  his  name.  The  armadillo  bur- 
rows skillfully  in  the  soil,  and  slips  down  his  hole  into 
the  ground  so  quickly  that  he  is  seldom  caught.  He 
usually  stays  in  his  earthy  dwelling  except  at  night. 

The  iguana  is  a  connection  of  the  great  lizard  family. 
He  resembles  the  alligator  in  appearance,  save  that  he  is 


AN   AGOUTI. 


118         PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

green  instead  of  black,  but  he  lives  among  trees.  He 
presents  an  angry  front  when  cornered,  although  he  is  by 
nature  harmless  and  timid.  The  guinea  pig,  the  Capu- 
chin monkey,  the  bat,  the  rabbit,  and  other  small  animals 
find  the  island  a  comfortable  home. 

That  curious  creature  known  as  the  land  crab,  so 
abundant  in  some  parts  of  South  America,  is  another 
inhabitant  of  Porto  Rico.  He  differs  from  the  small 
crab  of  our  northern  seacoasts  in  size  —  he  is  sometimes 
two  feet  long  —  and  in  his  peculiar  gait.  Instead  of 
crawling  either  forward  or  backward,  as  do  the  ordinary 
crabs  of  the  United  States,  he  stands  upright  on  his  rear 
claws  and  hitches  along  diagonally,  with  his  small  head 
tipped  to  one  side  and  his  clippers  waving  in  the  air  to 
^^ wm m mmmt BI^ i^ ^m ••••  aid  him  in  keeping  his 

balance.  He  is  harm- 
less ;  but  he  does 
rather  remind  the  ob- 
server of  a  tipsy  man 
trying  to  keep  from 
falling  down,  and  two 
or  three  large  land 
crabs  edging  along 
near  each  other  are 
enough  to  startle  con- 
siderably any  one  not 

A   MONGOOSE.  ,  ., 

accustomed      to     the 

antics  of  this  peculiar  crustacean.  The  tortoise,  in  his 
clumsy,  box-like  house,  is  to  be  found  in  Porto  Rico. 

Sheep,  goats,  horses,  oxen,  and  mules  are  the  principal 
domestic  animals.  The  Porto  Rican  horse  came  origi- 
nally from  Arabia,  but  life  in  the  island  has  been  unfa- 


ANIMALS,    INSECTS,   AND   FISH. 


119 


vorable  to  his  best  development.  The  people  of  Porto 
Rico  are  not  as  careful  of  their  animals  as  the  faith- 
ful creatures  deserve.  The  ponies  carry  heavy  bags 
of  coffee  or  sugar,  or  are  loaded  with  great  baskets  of 
fruit,  one  little  pony  often  toiling  along  under  a  bur- 
den of  three  hundred 
pounds'  weight. 

It  is  not  unusual 
to  see  a  man  making 
his  way  into  Ponce, 
or  Mayaguez,  or  some 
other  of  the  large 
towns,  with  a  load  of 
plaited  pack  saddles, 
two  huge  bales  of 
grass  for  horse  col- 
lars, and  the  owner 
himself  —  all  upon 
one  little  horse  strug- 
gling slowly  forward.  These  meek  and  submissive 
animals  are  compelled  to  carry  over  the  steep  mountain 
trails  such  freight  as  chairs,  tables,  rolls  of  floor-matting, 
boxes,  and  trunks.  A  horse  in  the  United  States  would 
show  great  displeasure  if  made  to  carry  on  his  back  a 
table  or  a  trunk,  and  the  load  would  come  off  very 
shortly,  or  at  least  it  would  certainly  never  reach  its 
destination  in  safety.  Sometimes  an  entire  Porto  Rican 
family  may  be  seen  going  to  church  on  one  pony.  The 
father  and  mother  mount  the  animal,  and  the  children 
ride  in  two  baskets,  one  hanging  over  each  side  of  the 
pony's  back. 

The  patient,  willing,  and  long-suffering  Porto  Rican 


A   LAND   CRAB. 


120         PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

horse  gets  little  pleasure  out  of  life.  He  suffers  some- 
what from  the  climate,  but  much  more  from  neglect  and 
abuse.  In  spite  of  the  hard  work  given  him  to  do,  he  is 
oftener  fed  on  grass  than  on  corn.  When  too  worn  out 
to  endure  life  any  longer,  he  gives  up  the  conflict  and 
dies.  Even  then  he  is  left  unburied,  his  body  being 
exposed  until  nothing  remains  but  the  bones,  bleached 
white  by  sun  and  rain. 

Most  of  the  heavy  teaming  is  done  by  oxen  and 
mules.  The  oxen  are  large,  stout  creatures  with  wide- 
spreading  horns.  They  step  quickly,  pull  steadily,  and 
seldom  show  signs  of  weariness.  Two  oxen  can  haul  a 
heavily  loaded  wagon  over  the  rocky  roads  of  Lares  or 
the  muddy  trails  of  Adjuntas,  which  is  saying  a  great 
deal  in  favor  of  any  animal.  Oxen  do  not  wear  yokes, 
as  in  the  United  States,  but  heavy  timbers  are  fastened 
behind  the  horns  so  that  the  whole  weight  of  the  wagon 
pulls  upon  their  heads.  This  is  a  very  cruel  practice, 
and  our  government  officials  are  said  to  be  trying  to  put 
a  stop  to  it. 

A  contributor  to  the  National  Magazine  for  October, 
1898,  says:  "Not  only  is  man  unkind  to  man,  he  is 
callous  of  the  woes  of  beasts.  It  was  from  man's  treat- 
ment of  the  animals  that  I  got  my  first  shock.  This 
was  caused  by  the  Porto  Ricans  who  were  goading  the 
oxen  which  draw  the  heavy  carts  of  rum  and  sugar  to 
market.  We  had  not  gone  a  mile  towards  the  city 
before  we  came  upon  long  trains  of  ox  teams.  The 
drivers  had  goads  tipped  with  sharp  steel  an  inch  and  a 
half  long.  They  thrust  this  cruel  weapon  into  the 
oxen  and  then  turned  the  instrument  until  the  poor 
beasts  bled." 


ANIMALS,    INSECTS,   AND    FISH. 


121 


The  age  of  light  but  strong  farm  wagons  has  come. 
May  it  soon  reach  Porto  Rico,  for  its  clumsy  carts  of 
heavy  timbers,  and  wheels  with  broad  tires,  are  too  cum- 
bersome for  use  on  muddy  or  rocky  country  roads  like 
those  of  the  island. 

The  razorback  hog  is  a  familiar  sight  in  the  rural  parts 
of  the  island.     Wherever  we  go  we  find  him  running 
about.     He  is  usually  hungry,  and  squealing  at  the  top 
of  his  lungs. 
He  needs  con- 
siderable 
watching    to 
keep     him 
from  running 
away;    for, 
like  the  pork- 
e  r  s      with 
which  we  are 
familiar    in 
the    United 

States,  he  is  a  very  independent  creature.  On  the 
family  washing  day,  when  the  women  go  to  the  river 
to  cleanse  their  garments,  they  naturally  take  their 
children  along  for  safe-keeping.  It  is  equally  necessary 
to  take  the  swine  too,  lest  they  wander  off  into  other 
people's  territory  and  be  lost. 

It  is  said  that  there  are  no  poisonous  reptiles  and  few 
insects,  save  mosquitoes,  in  the  island.  These  latter  are, 
it  must  be  admitted,  legion.  They  are  so  tiny  that 
American  mosquito  netting  is  useless  as  a  protection 
from  their  ferocity,  and  so  numerous  that  it  is  a  con- 
stant source  of  wonder  where  so  many  insects  of  a  kind 
can  possibly  come  from. 


AN   ARMADILLO. 


122        PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

A  traveler  who  has  summered  and  wintered  in  Porto 
Rico,  and  has  camped  out  under  palms  and  ceiba  trees, 
says  that  he  was  never  stung  by  anything  more  dan- 
gerous than  a  hornet  or  an  ant.  Scorpions,  centipedes, 
and  tarantulas  are  occasionally  found,  but,  considering 
the  heat,  their  numbers  are  few.  That  lively  insect 
known  as  the  flea  abounds,  and  the  species  called 
"jigger"  is  a  terror  to  those  who  go  barefooted.  It 
pierces  the  skin,  working  its  way  into  the  flesh.  At 
first  the  victim  feels  only  a  slight  tickling,  then  the  mite 
embeds  itself  in  the  foot  and  there  lays  its  eggs.  Pain 
and  disease  follow,  causing  lameness,  and  in  severe  cases 
the  loss  of  the  foot. 

The  Porto  Ricans  are  particularly  fond  of  fish.  Be- 
sides what  is  eaten  fresh,  large  quantities  of  dried, 
pickled,  and  canned  fish  are  imported  each  year.  In 
1897  this  amounted  to  more  than  thirty-four  million 
pounds,  and  cost  two  million  dollars. 

There  are  only  about  eight  hundred  people  who  make 
a  living  by  fishing.  They  use  less  than  four  hundred 
sail  and  row  boats.  Perhaps  fishing  may  be  taken  up 
again  as  an  occupation,  but  it  was  limited  under  Spanish 
rule,  since  only  those  who  had  paid  for  a  special  license 
and  were  enrolled  in  the  reserve  naval  force  were 
allowed  to  engage  in  fishing  as  a  business.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1898,  by  order  of  General  Brooke,  the  privilege  of 
fishing  in  rivers,  streams,  lakes,  and  all  other  waters  of 
Porto  Rico,  was  made  absolutely  free. 

Small  fishing  towns  and  settlements  are  found  all 
along  the  coast.  Such  a  place  is  Guanajibo,  whose  catch 
of  fish  goes  to  Mayaguez  near  by.  One  sloop,  of  seven 
and  a  half  tons  burden,  and  thirty  feet  long,  has  the 


ANIMALS,    INSECTS,   AND    FISH.  123 

principal  share  in  the  fishing  business.  This  fishing 
vessel  goes  out  as  far  as  the  Mona  Islands,  a  distance 
of  forty-two  miles. 

Palo  Seco,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Bayamon  River, 
supplies  most  of  the  fish  for  San  Juan.  Sixty  of  its 
two  hundred  inhabitants  earn  their  livelihood  by  fishing. 
Parguera,  Porto  Real,  and  Punta  Santiago  are  all  fishing 
centers.  These  hamlets  present  a  picturesque  appear- 
ance with  their  thatched  roofs,  clustering  palms,  and 
ceiba  trees.  In  some  of  the  principal  towns  on  the 
eastern  and  western  coasts  fishing  is  an  important  in- 
dustry. The  lack  of  good  means  for  transportation  and 
the  scarcity  of  ice  make  the  profits  from  fresh  fish  very 
uncertain. 

The  great  variety  of  fish  in  the  waters  of  the  island 
gives  to  the  fish  business  a  promising  outlook.  In  the 
fresh-water  streams  many  species  are  found.  The  waters 
along  the  coast  abound  in  Spanish  mackerel,  sardines, 
red  snappers,  and  bonitos.  The  bonito  is  a  large  fish 
found  only  in  tropical  seas. 

Oysters,  clams,  lobsters,  and  shrimps  inhabit  the  waters 
around  the  island.  The  sponge  grows  in  Porto  Rican 
waters,  and  many  of  these  are  brought  from  there  to 
the  United  States  every  year. 

Thirty  species  of  coral  are  to  be  found  on  the  coasts 
and  the  offshore  reefs.  That  exquisite  ocean  flower, 
the  sea  anemone,  may  be  gathered  from  the  waters  sur- 
rounding the  island. 


124    PORTO  RICO:  THE  LAND  OF  THE  RICH  PORT. 

CHAPTER   XII. 

THE   CITIES   OF   THE   COAST. 

NINE  TENTHS  of  Porto  Rico  is  mountainous.  The  re- 
maining one  tenth  lies  along  the  coast,  and  has  a  water 
front  of  860  miles.  The  island  is  rich  and  fertile,  and  but 
for  one  defect  her  chance  of  standing  high  in  the  com- 
merce of  nations  would  be  good.  This  defect  is  lack 
of  good  harbors.  She  has  many  open  anchoring  places, 
but  her  facilities  for  loading  and  unloading  merchandise 
at  piers  like  those  of  San  Francisco,  Boston,  and  New 
York  are  very  limited. 

There  is  one  noble  exception.  San  Juan,  the  capital, 
has  a  harbor  of  which  any  country  might  be  proud. 
The  harbor  is  almost  surrounded  by  land,  and  is  both 
serviceable  and  deep.  It  is  guarded  by  that  grim  old  sen- 
tinel, Morro  Castle,  which  towers  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea.  Our  entering  must  be  cautious, 
as  the  passageway  is  narrow.  Between  the  frowning 
walls  of  the  great  castle  on  the  left  and  Point  Palo  Seco 
on  the  right  there  is  a  distance  of  scarcely  a  mile.  The 
channel  through  which  vessels  must  pass  is  only  four 
hundred  yards  wide,  hardly  more  than  twice  the  length 
of  some  of  our  ocean  steamships.  Even  though  the 
water  is  smooth,  an  experienced  pilot  is  required  to 
steer  our  ship  into  port.  When  the  weather  is  rough, 
and  the  fierce  north  winds  plow  the  waters  of  the 
channel  and  churn  them  into  seething  foam,  it  is  very 
dangerous  to  enter.  Many  a  time  have  ships  put  to  sea 


126        PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

to  escape  being  wrecked.  But  once  within  the  harbor, 
a  boat  is  always  safe.  The  elevation  of  the  city  on  the 
northern  side  serves  as  an  effective  screen  to  keep  off 
perilous  winds. 

The  rivers  which  empty  into  the  harbor  bring  down  a 
muddy  silt,  just  as  the  Mississippi  washes  mud  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  Formerly  portions  of  the  channel 
were  nearly  choked  by  this  silt.  A  thorough  system  of 
dredging  was  begun,  however,  in  1889,  so  that  now  the 
entrance  has  been  widened,  and  has  been  deepened  by 
nearly  thirty  feet.  The  water  along  the  wharves  is 
twenty-two  feet  deep.  Spanish  convicts  did  most  of 
the  work  of  dredging,  their  wages  being  ten  cents  a  day. 

We  have  read  about  the  Spanish  city,  St.  Augustine, 
Florida,  and  we  think  of  it  as  very  old.  But  San  Juan 
(in  English,  St.  John)  is  much  older.  It  was  founded 
in  1521,  and  St.  Augustine  not  till  1565,  forty-four  years 
later.  Therefore,  San  Juan  is  probably  the  oldest  city 
over  which  floats  the  American  flag.  As  compared  with 
our  own  cities,  it  is  not  very  large.  Its  population  num- 
bers about  32,000,  and  it  would  hardly  be  called  more 
than  a  good-sized  town  in  the  United  States.  Like 
New  York,  it  is  built  on  an  island.  This  island  ex- 
tends a  distance  of  two  and  a  half  miles,  from  Morro 
Castle  on  the  west  to  Fort  San  Cristobal  (meaning  St. 
Christopher)  on  the  east.  The  width  of  the  island 
from  north  to  south  is  only  half  a  mile. 

The  Morro  Castle  of  San  Juan,  like  its  more  famous 
namesake  at  Santiago  de  Cuba,  was  a  military  necessity, 
and  recalls  four  centuries  of  Spanish  rule.  The  steep 
and  rugged  cliffs  at  the  entrance  to  the  wonderful  San 
Juan  harbor  were  seized  upon  as  offering  admirable 


THE   CITIES   OF   THE   COAST.  127 

means  of  defense.  Morro  Castle  is  of  seventeenth-cen- 
tury origin,  and  was  begun  in  1630.  It  is  built  in  the 
form  of  an  obtuse  triangle,  having  three  tiers  of  batteries 
so  arranged  as  to  allow  of  cross-fire  in  time  of  action. 
During  the  recent  war  both  Morro  and  San  Cristobal, 
which  is  a  century  younger,  were  equipped  with  bomb- 
proof chambers  and  modern,  up-to-date  guns.  Morro 
Castle  is  in  itself  a  little  military  town,  with  barracks, 
officers'  quarters,  chapel,  bakehouse,  water  tanks,  and 
dungeons  opening  on  the  sea.  Here  is  the  light-tower 
of  the  city,  with  its  modern  lantern  shining  over  the 
ocean  from  a  height  of  a  hundred  and  seventy  feet. 

As  we  enter  the  city  proper  it  seems  as  if  we  were 
stepping  back  into  mediaeval  times.  There  are  all  the 
marks  of  the  walled  town  of  feudal  days,  with  port- 
cullis, battlement,  parapet,  bastion,  and  remains  of  moat. 
An  immense  wall  surrounds  it,  making  San  Juan  the 
only  city  of  its  kind  belonging  to  the  United  States. 
We  are  reminded,  as  we  look  about,  of  the  stories  we 
have  read  of  knights  and  ladies,  and  tournaments  and 
bouts.  The  town  is  of  the  same  quaint  character  as 
Lyons  in  France,  Nuremberg  in  Germany,  or  old  Seville 
in  Spain.  The  streets  are  narrow  and  crowded.  Build- 
ings for  residence  and  business  are  hemmed  in  by  stone 
walls.  The  thousand  dwelling  houses  are  of  mortar  or 
stone,  built  regardless  of  convenience  or  of  taste.  The 
roofs  are  flat,  to  catch  the  rain,  which  pours  into  the 
cisterns  below  them.  The  storekeeper  usually  lives  on 
the  floor  above  his  shop,  though  some  of  the  more  well- 
to-do  have  houses  outside  of  San  Juan,  in  one  of  the 
rural  towns,  such  as  Rio  Piedras  or  Santurce.  In  a 
country  where  earthquakes  are  feared  the  houses  are 


128        PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

not  high ;  each  one  in  San  Juan  has  its  balcony. 
Since  the  sidewalks  barely  allow  two  persons  to  walk 
abreast,  we  will  take  the  middle  of  the  street,  as  pedes- 
trians often  do.  We  must  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  how- 
ever, for  the  drivers  of  coaches.  They  race  down  the 
narrow  streets,  shrilly  shouting  their  coming,  but  leav- 
ing with  us  the  consequences  if  an  accident  occurs. 
The  streets  run  in  nearly  parallel  lines,  and  cut  each 
other  at  right  angles,  six  of  them  running  east  and 
west,  and  seven  north  and  south. 

Like  every  town  of  the  island,  San  Juan  has  its  plaza. 
This  is  a  public  square,  like  the  piazza  of  Rome,  or  the 
place  of  Paris.  San  Juan  itself  has  two  plazas  and 
several  plazuelas,  or  little  squares.  Around  the  chief 
plaza  are  located  some  of  the  important  buildings  of 
the  city,  including  the  City  Hall.  To  reach  the  other 
important  plaza  we  must  go  to  the  eastern  extremity 
of  the  city  island,  near  Fort  San  Cristobal. 

The  largest  building  in  San  Juan  is  the  Ballaja  bar- 
racks. It  overlooks  the  parade  grounds  and  covers  an 
immense  area.  Among  the  public  buildings  are  the  thea- 
ter, with  a  seating  capacity  of  five  thousand ;  the  palace 
of  the  bishop  ;  the  military  hospital ;  the  cathedral ; 
the  church  of  Santo  Domingo;  and  the  Jesuit  College. 
The  governor  of  Porto  Rico  occupies  a  spacious  edifice 
which  overlooks  the  harbor. 

The  most  interesting  old  structure  in  the  city  is  the 
"  Casa  Blanca,"  or  White  House.  This  was  built  and 
occupied  by  Ponce  de  Leon.  We  learn  in  United  States 
history  that  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon  set  sail  from  Porto 
Rico  in  search  of  the  fountain  of  perpetual  youth.  He 
failed  to  discover  the  fountain,  but  he  found  instead 


130         PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

what  was  much  more  worth  the  while,  the  beautiful 
country  which  he  called  the  Land  of  Flowers,  or 
Florida.  Casa  Blanca  stands  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
and  is  almost  a  palace  in  size.  It  has  a  walled  garden, 
with  a  border  of  palms,  and  was  built  for  military 
defense. 

The  city  has  three  clubs,  one  patronized  by  the  Span- 
iards and  called  the  Casino ;  a  second  patronized  by  the 
Porto  Ricans ;  and  an  American  club,  which  has  sprung 
up  in  recent  years,  made  up  largely  of  army  and  navy 
officers. 

The  people  of  San  Juan  are  almost  as  eager  for  the 
news  of  the  day  as  are  citizens  of  New  York  or  Chicago. 
To  meet  this  demand  several  daily  and  weekly  papers 
are  published.  As  yet  these  are  all  in  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage with  two  exceptions,  the  San  Juan  News  and  the 
Porto  Rico  Sun,  which  are  in  both  English  and  Spanish. 
Others  will  appear  in  English  in  due  time. 

The  summer  climate  of  the  capital  city  is  not  as 
healthful  as  that  of  the  interior  towns,  but  during  eight 
months  of  the  year  the  city  is  an  attractive  place  of 
residence.  Freedom  from  malarial  diseases  and  fevers 
is  due  to  its  comparative  cleanliness,  as  well  as  to  the 
steady,  cool  trade  winds  which  sweep  across  the  island. 
This  cleanliness  is  due,  in  turn,  to  the  fact  that  the  prin- 
cipal streets  fall  rapidly  to  the  water's  edge  and  carry  off 
much  of  the  city's  filth  and  debris. 

A  Porto  Rican  writer  tells  us  that  among  the  most 
interesting  sights  of  San  Juan  are  the  arrival  and  depar- 
ture of  the  mail  steamships  belonging  to  the  United 
States.  These  boats  come  every  week,  bringing  greet- 
ings from  the  great  republic  of  the  north.  They  arrive 


THE   CITIES   OF  THE   COAST.  131 

at  San  Juan  upon  a  certain  day  of  the  week  and  at  a 
prescribed  hour.  Many  resident  Americans  are  at  the 
dock  to  watch  the  boat  come  in,  because  it  will  bring 
the  latest  news  from  home. 

The  enormous  quantity  of  merchandise  carried  by  these 
and  other  ships  is  significant  of  the  great  commercial 
movement  between  Porto  Rico  and  New  York.  Huge 
pyramids  of  grain  and  flour  sacks  are  piled  upon  the 
pier  after  their  removal  from  the  boats,  a  dozen  of  which 
are  continually  discharging  cargoes.  Laboring  men  rush 
back  and  forth  like  companies  of  ants.  A  hundred 
wagons  come  and  go  along  the  esplanade,  carrying  grain 
and  other  stuffs  from  off  the  wharf. 

Although  the  island  numbers  scarcely  a  million  inhab- 
itants, its  foreign  trade  is  very  large.  Since  the  com- 
modities of  the  island  are  neither  substantial  foods 
nor  manufactured  products,  it  is  necessary  to  import 
nearly  everything  which  is  consumed,  and  as  a  conse- 
quence to  export  nearly  everything  produced.  Up  to 
the  year  1900  the  commerce  of  Porto  Rico  was  divided 
between  the  United  States  and  Europe;  but  with  the 
establishment  of  free  trade  between  the  island  and  North 
American  markets,  the  western  trade  has  been  greatly 
increased,  while  that  with  the  markets  of  Europe  has 
diminished  in  like  degree.  Free  trade  with  the  United 
States  has  also  caused  extraordinary  increase  in  the 
amount  of  sugar,  tobacco,  and  tropical  fruits  produced 
in  the  island.  During  certain  seasons  of  the  year  the 
export  of  the  latter  is  so  constant  that  it  has  been  said 
rather  fancifully  that  the  boats  with  bananas  and  pine- 
apples leave  in  their  wake  a  perfumed  path,  which 
reaches  from  San  Juan  to  New  York. 


132         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

As  the  steamers  leave  for  the  north,  crowds  of  people 
gather  upon  the  dock  to  bid  their  friends  farewell.  Hun- 
dreds of  handkerchiefs  are  waved,  and  as  the  ship  steers 
for  the  open  sea  many  others  flutter,  like  white  doves, 
from  the  decks,  while  the  steamship  moves  swiftly  over 
the  quiet  waters  of  the  bay. 

Porto  Rico  is  no  exception  to  the  rule  that  the  chief 
city  serves  as  a  pattern  for  the  entire  country.  What 
Paris  is  to  France,  London  to  England,  Madrid  to  Spain, 
Havana  to  Cuba,  San  Juan  is  to  Porto  Rico.  In  social 
customs,  recreations,  and  education,  the  country  people 
follow  the  lead  of  their  capital.  If  in  this  fact  there  is 
much  to  regret,  there  is  also  much  to  occasion  satisfac- 
tion. San  Juan,  being  the  principal  port,  brings  together 
ships  of  many  nations.  Naval  officers  of  all  lands  meet 
here  and  exert  an  influence  upon  the  people  of  the  city. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Porto  Rico  from  San  Juan 
is  Ponce,  the  second  city  of  importance  and  the  southern 
gateway.  The  picture,  as  we  approach  by  water,  is  very 
attractive.  For  miles  back  against  the  sky-line  rows  of 
hills  rise  up,  from  one  to  two  thousand  feet  high.  Low, 
swampy  play  a,  or  beach  lands,  in  dense  tropical  luxuri- 
ance, may  be  seen  at  the  right,  while  on  the  left  the  shore 
inclines  to  the  northward  in  picturesque  curves,  cocoanut 
trees  fringing  its  border.  The  broad  bend  of  the  coast 
line  forms  an  open  harbor  which  will  accommodate  ships 
of  twenty-five  feet  draft.  The  port  of  Ponce,  with  its 
custom-house  and  consular  offices,  is  a  bustling  center 
of  trade.  Its  large  warehouses  make  it  contrast  favorably 
with  San  Juan,  which  is  most  deficient  in  this  respect. 
Although  there  is  no  wharf  at  Port  Ponce,  a  vast  amount 
of  merchandise  is  carried  back  and  forth  from  shore  to 


THE   CITIES   OF  THE   COAST. 


133 


anchored  ship  by  means  of  lighters,  or  heavy  transport 
boats. 

It  is  two  miles  over  the  cane  fields  from  the  port  to  the 
city  of  Ponce.  The  well-shaded  road  is  lined  with  the 
huts  of  the  poorer  classes.  Many  warehouses  stand 
along  the  way.  Let  us  enter  the  city,  climb  to  the 
hospital  roof,  and  take  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Ponce. 


THE   CATHEDRAL  AT    PONCE. 


Many  of  the  dwellings  have  covered  piazzas,  but  they 
are  built  close  to  the  narrow  sidewalks.  There  are  some 
buildings  of  stone  and  brick,  but  wooden  houses  pre- 
dominate. The  streets  are  wide  and  macadamized. 
Cocoa  and  royal  palms,  and  mango,  fig,  and  banana  trees 
give  a  tropical  aspect  to  the  scene. 

A  beautifully  shaded  plaza  occupies  the  center  of  the 
city,  with  the  town  house  and  cathedral  facing  it.  The 


134         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE    RICH    PORT. 

dignified  old  cathedral,  with  its  two  spires  and  its  mas- 
sive altars,  comes  down  from  the  year  1600,  when  the 
town  was  founded.  It  has  undergone  extensive  repairs 
from  time  to  time.  The  oldest  Protestant  church  on  the 
island  is  at  Ponce  ;  this  church  was  built  in  1874.  The 
city  has  three  times  as  many  streets  as  San  Juan,  yet  its 
population  is  four  thousand  less,  the  number  at  present 
being  about  28,000. 

Ponce  attracts  Americans.  Its  hospitality  is  frank, 
open,  genial.  It  is  the  most  enterprising  town  of  Porto 
Rico,  and  has  the  business  push  which  Americans  appre- 
ciate and  enjoy.  It  owes  its  wealth  to  the  great  sugar 
plantations  of  the  interior.  Large  quantities  of  coffee 
are  also  brought  to  the  town,  carried  to  the  port  two 
miles  away,  and  there  shipped  to  other  countries. 

The  elevation  of  the  city  above  the  sea  gives  it  free- 
dom from  the  fatal  miasma  that  lurks  in  the  levels 
below.  The  view  of  the  city  from  the  hills  on  the 
north  side  is  enchanting,  but  a  nearer  look  at  the  huts 
and  shanties  dissipates  something  of  the  charm. 

The  pure  water  supplying  the  city  is  brought  from  the 
mountains  by  an  aqueduct  four  thousand  yards  long. 
Hardly  more  than  a  mile  from  the  town  are  the  famous 
hot  springs,  La  Quintana,  to  which  those  afflicted  with 
rheumatism  resort. 

Mayaguez,  the  third  city,  is  on  the  western  coast.  It 
is  one  of  the  finest  cities  on  the  island,  and  as  a  place  of 
residence  ranks  first.  Its  population  numbers  about 
15,000.  It  is  the  great  coffee  market  of  the  west  coast. 
Pineapples  and  cocoanuts  are  exported  in  large  quantities. 

The  thirty-seven  streets  of  Mayaguez  are  broad  and 
well  paved ;  there  are  three  plazas.  The  houses  are 


THE   CITIES   OF  THE   COAST. 


135 


finely  constructed,  and  are  surrounded  by  gardens  con- 
taining flowers,  fountains,  and  statues.  The  city  sup- 
ports a  hospital  for  soldiers  and  a  home  for  the  aged 
and  infirm.  There  are  also  fine  military  barracks  and  a 
theater.  Mayaguez  is  built  on  rounded  hills  which  fur- 


THE    PLAZA  AT     MAYAGUEZ. 


nish   excellent   drainage.     The   foliage   is   superb,  the 
flowers  bright  colored  and  abundant. 

The  industries  of  Mayaguez  are  famous  throughout 
the  island.  Four  large  coffee  mills  receive  the  sun- 
dried  berry  from  the  mountain  regions  farther  inland. 
Here  machines  remove  the  second  hull,  bluing  and 
polishing  the  berry,  and  so  preparing  it  for  the  market. 
No  other  city  of  Porto  Rico  exports  as  much  fruit  as 
Mayaguez,  most  of  this  fruit  coming  to  the  United 


136         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

States.  The  city  has  a  tannery,  and  four  chocolate 
manufactories.  The  Mayaguez  chocolate  is  excellent. 
The  public  market  is  the  best  in  Porto  Rico.  It  is 
built  of  iron  and  stone,  covers  an  area  of  more  than 
fifteen  hundred  square  feet  and  cost  nearly  165,000. 
To  Mayaguez  belongs  the  distinction  of  having  a  fine 
iron  bridge.  The  country  about  Mayaguez  shows  less 
poverty  than  that  surrounding  any  other  Porto  Rican 
city.  The  plain  is  productive,  and  here  and  there  the 
houses  of  well-to-do  planters  and  fruit  raisers  are  to  be 
seen.  Because  of  the  various  industries,  wages  are  a 
little  higher  than  elsewhere  in  the  island. 

About  seven  miles  outside  the  city,  across  a  rough  and 
mountainous  country,  is  the  sanctuary  of  Montserrat. 
This  wild-looking  place  is  visited  by  many  pilgrims,  and 
numerous  legends  have  grown  up  about  it. 

The  sanctuary  takes  its  name  from  a  similar  shrine 
in  far-away  Spain.  Among  the  Pyrenees  there  is  one 
rocky  mountain  peak  called  Montserrat.  The  monas- 
tery near  its  summit  was  founded  there  because  of  an 
old  legend  to  the  effect  that,  when  Christ  was  dying 
on  the  cross,  as  he  breathed  his  last,  there  was  a  terrible 
convulsion  of  this  mountain,  and  the  rocks  forming  its 
jagged  sides  were  thrown  out.  The  locality  has  long 
been  held  sacred  in  remembrance  of  this  supposed 
remarkable  event. 

The  church  of  Montserrat  itself,  like  its  namesake  in 
Spain,  is  on  the  top  of  a  mountain.  It  is  of  masonry, 
quite  large  and  rather  attractive.  From  this  mountain 
top  we  can  see  the  most  beautiful  plain  on  the  island, 
watered  by  the  Guanajibo  and  Boqueron  rivers,  and  in- 
closed by  high  mountain  ridges.  The  plain  is  bounded 


THE   CITIES   OF   THE   COAST. 


137 


by  the  sea  and  has  within  it  the  towns  of  Cabo  Rojo 
and  San  German. 

The  deep  curve  in  the  shore  which  serves  as  a  harbor 
for  Mayaguez  lies  wide  open.  Submerged  reefs  built 
by  the  coral  polyps  furnish  a  valuable  breakwater. 

Thirty-five  miles  to  the  west  of  San  Juan  is  the  sea- 
port of  Arecibo.  A  narrow-gauge  railroad  connects  the 
two  places.  The  Arecibo,  the  second  river  in  size  in 
the  island,  flows  past  the  city.  Though  shallow,  it  is  a 
source  of  much  prosperity  to  the  people.  Arecibo  is  the 
great  coffee  port  of  the  northern  coast.  It  has  a  popu- 
lation of  about  8000.  Its  church  is  one  of  the  finest  in 
the  island.  This  church  faces  the  plaza,  from  which 


THE   CITY  OF  ARECIBO. 


streets  run  so  as  to  form  squares.  There  is  no  shel- 
tered harbor,  and  no  ship  dare  anchor  before  the  city 
when  a  "norther"  is  on.  The  scenery  of  the  surround- 
ing country  is  charming. 


138         PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

The  beautiful  bay  of  Aguadilla  forms  the  seaward 
approach  to  the  city  of  this  name  on  the  northwest  coast. 
Into  its  deep  waters  the  large  boats  of  our  navy,  like 
the  Oregon  or  Illinois,  could  enter  without  fear  of  run- 
ning aground  or  of  striking  a  rock.  The  city  lies  at  the 
base  of  a  steep,  fruit-covered  mountain.  Palms  and 
lemon  and  orange  trees  grow  in  abundance.  A  large 
river  of  clear,  sparkling  water  springs  from  the  moun- 
tain above,  and  flows  through  the  midst  of  the  city.  It 
is  partly  because  of  the  pure  water  to  be  obtained  here 
that  Aguadilla  is  the  favorite  port  for  trading-vessels 
from  Havana  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  inhabitants 
number  about  6400. 

Almost  on  a  straight  line  south  from  San  Juan,  and 
fifty  miles  east  of  Ponce,  lies  Guayama.  Its  seaport, 
Arroyo,  is  five  miles  beyond.  Guayama  is  the  center 
of  the  great  sugar  and  coffee  growing  region  of  the 
south,  the  city  alone  having  nine  sugar  mills.  Arroyo 
has  a  flourishing  trade  with  the  United  States.  It  is 
said  that  almost  anything,  will  grow  on  the  lowlands 
about  the  town.  An  insufficient  water  supply  is  the 
principal  drawback  to  the  growth  of  many  tropical 
products.  From  an  average  of  2800  pounds  an  acre 
in  favorable  seasons,  in  time  of  severe  drought  the 
production  is  reduced  to  almost  nothing.  Engineers 
are  now  at  work  upon  plans  for  irrigating  the  entire 
region.  Guayama  has  a  population  of  5300 ;  Arroyo 
has  2100  inhabitants.  We  import  to  the  United  States 
from  Arroyo,  annually,  10,000  hogsheads  of  sugar  and 
5000  hogsheads  of  molasses  and  rum.  Most  of  the 
staves  for  these  hogsheads  are  made  in  Portland,  Maine. 
The  malagueta  plant  is  found  here  ;  from  it  the  best 


THE   CITIES  OF   THE   COAST. 


139 


bay  rum  in  the  world  is  produced.  Large  quantities 
of  this  product  are  purchased  by  the  royal  families  of 
Europe.  It  is  claimed  that  the  plant  grows  nowhere 
in  the  world  except  in  the  West  Indies. 


THE   LIGHTHOUSE   AT    MAUNABO. 


On  the  eastern  border,  three  miles  from  the  coast,  is 
the  town  of  Humacao,  with  a  population  of  4400. 
Corn,  beans,  yucca,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables  are 
said  to  be  raised  at  Humacao.  Oranges  and  lemons 
are  produced  easily,  though  at  the  present  time  only 
sufficient  quantities  are  raised  for  home  use.  As  in 
many  other  towns,  the  church  is  the  prominent  building. 
There  are  a  broad  plaza,  a  town  house,  barracks,  a  hospital, 
and  a  jail. 


140         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

There  are  several  other  towns  of  industrial  promi- 
nence on  or  near  the  coast.  Maunabo,  with  its  rich 
cane  fields,  produces  thousands  of  pounds  of  sugar  each 
year.  Salinas,  named  from  its  salt  deposits,  has  a  good 
harbor  and  a  flourishing  trade.  Carolina,  Camuy,  Loiza, 
Isabela,  Rincon,  Dorado,  Luquillo,  all  of  them  on  or 
near  the  coast,  are  of  commercial  value  to  the  island. 

Vieques,  an  island  belonging  to  Porto  Rico,  lies  thir- 
teen miles  to  the  east.  Vieques  is  twenty-one  miles 
long  and  six  wide.  The  coast  line  is  low,  but  a  chain 
of  mountains  extends  through  the  center.  There  are 
several  commodious  harbors  where  the  largest  ships  can 
ride  at  anchor.  The  climate  is  good,  but  there  is  little 
running  water,  and  severe  droughts  occur  from  time  to 
time.  The  inhabitants  number  between  six  and  seven 
thousand,  more  than  a  third  of  whom  are  in  the  town 
of  Vieques  on  the  northern  side.  The  island  has  always 
been  considered  prosperous,  and  has  long  produced  a 
fine  quality  of  sugar-cane.  Cattle  raising  is  an  impor- 
tant feature. 

The  inhabitants  of  Culebra,  or  Snake  Island,  seven- 
teen miles  east  of  Cape  San  Juan,  live  by  fishing  and 
woodcutting.  The  soil  of  the  island  is  barren,  and  the 
hills  are  covered  with  a  low  growth  of  timber  of  little 
value. 

About  twelve  miles  south  of  Ponce  is  Coffin  Island. 
The  supply  of  fish  is  abundant,  but  there  is  no  good 
place  of  anchorage. 

Mona,  or  Monkey  Island,  forty  miles  west  of  Cabo 
Rojo  (meaning  Cape  Red),  ends  on  one  side  in  a  bold 
headland  topped  by  a  huge  overhanging  rock.  This 
rock  is  known  to  seamen  by  the  suggestive  name  of 


INLAND   TOWNS.  141 

"Caigo  6  no  Caigo"  (Shall  I  fall  or  not)?  The  popu- 
lation of  the  island  is  small.  Its  coast  rises  abruptly 
from  the  water  and  can  be  seen  by  the  sailor  many 
leagues  away.  Goats,  bulls,  and  swine,  in  the  wild 
state,  can  be  found  there.  This  lonely  island  gives  the 
name  to  the  broad  channel  separating  Porto  Rico  from 
Santo  Domingo. 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

INLAND   TOWNS. 

PORTO  Rico  is,  in  general,  as  has  been  already  stated, 
an  agricultural  community.  As  the  soil  of  the  island  is 
the  chief  source  of  its  wealth,  the  inland  centers  as  well 
as  the  seaport  towns  are  of  great  importance. 

The  whole  island  is  divided  into  what  are  called 
departments,  corresponding  somewhat  to  our  divisions 
into  counties.  There  are  seven  of  these  departments. 
That  of  Humacao  extends  the  whole  length  of  the 
eastern  side  of  the  island,  with  an  area  of  413  square 
miles  and  a  population  of  88,501.  To  the  west  of 
Humacao  are  two,  —  the  department  of  Bayamon  on  the 
north,  with  an  area  of  542  square  miles,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  160,046 ;  and  Guayama  on  the  south,  area  561 
square  miles,  population  111,986.  The  west  central 
part  of  the  island  also  contains  two  departments, — 
Arecibo,  its  area  being  621  square  miles,  and  its 
population  162,308 ;  and  Ponce,  area  822  square  miles, 
population  203,191.  The  western  side  is  occupied  by 
the  department  of  Aguadilla,  240  square  miles,  99,645 
inhabitants;  and  Mayaguez,  407  square  miles  and 


142         PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

127,566  inhabitants.  The  seven  departments  are  sub- 
divided into  69  municipal  districts.  The  population 
of  the  entire  island,  according  to  the  last  census,  was 
953,243.  Less  than  one  tenth  of  the  people  live  in 
cities.  There  are  264  persons  to  the  square  mile,  about 
the  same  as  in  Massachusetts.  In  New  York  the  pro- 
portion is  only  one  half  as  great,  in  Ohio  but  a  third. 

Six  miles  southwest  of  San  Juan  is  the  wealthy  inland 
town  of  Bayamon,  in  the  department  of  the  same  name. 
It  is  built  among  comparatively  small  hills,  and  is  on  the 
line  of  the  longest  railroad  in  Porto  Rico.  Its  streets 
are  rather  better  than  the  average.  It  has  a  town  hall, 
and  those  two  signs  of  military  and  civil  protection,  — 
barracks  and  a  jail.  The  2200  inhabitants  gain  their 
support  by  raising  cattle,  sugar-cane,  and  tropical  fruits. 
In  the  municipal  district  of  which  Bayamon  is  the 
center  is  Caparra,  the  first  settlement  on  the  island, 
and  now  called  Pueblo  Viejo,  or  ancient  town.  Among 
its  interesting  features  is  a  massive  and  imposing  ruin, 
the  remains  of  an  old  church. 

The  picturesque  little  town  of  Rio  Piedras  is  also  a 
suburb  of  San  Juan,  seven  miles  distant.  Here  many 
business  people  from  the  city  have  their  homes.  It  is  a 
refreshing  change  from  the  hot  warehouses  to  the  airy 
apartments  of  this  little  town  among  the  hills.  The 
inhabitants  number  2250.  Here  is  the  "  summer  palace  " 
of  the  governor  general.  During  the  days  of  Spanish 
rule  the  large,  low,  rambling  wooden  building,  densely 
shaded  with  mango  trees,  was  the  scene  of  much  official 
activity.  Later,  when  the  American  forces  took  posses- 
sion of  the  island,  it  was  put  at  their  disposal  and 
occupied  by  them.  Just  before  the  evacuation  of  San 


INLAND   TOWNS.  143 

Juan  the  building,  and  the  garden  belonging  to  it,  became 
the  headquarters  of  the  United  States  soldiers. 

The  department  of  Bayam6n,  of  which  these  two  towns 
are  typical,  has  the  largest  proportion  of  inhabitants 
living  in  cities.  This  is  due  mainly  to  the  fact  that  the 
capital  itself  is  in  this  department.  Yet  here  the  city 
population  amounts  to  only  29.2  per  cent,  showing  how 
large  a  majority  of  the  people  live  in  rural  communities. 

Manati  may  be  taken  as  a  representative  inland  town 
of  the  department  of  Arecibo.  It  is  seventeen  miles 
east  of  Arecibo  City,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  the 
north-shore  railroad.  Among  its  interesting  features  is 
a  broad  and  deep  cavern  known  as  "the  Swallow  Cave." 
Manati  is  about  an  average  Porto  Rican  village  in 
respect  to  thrift,  though  it  is  not  noted  for  its  clean- 
liness. 

On  the  wagon  road  between  Arecibo  and  Ponce  is 
Utuado,  with  3620  inhabitants.  It  is  situated  1500 
feet  above  the  sea,  and  thus  has  the  advantages  of  an 
invigorating  altitude.  During  the  recent  war  it  was 
a  place  of  encampment  for  a  portion  of  the  United 
States  Nineteenth  Regulars. 

Out  of  a  population  of  about  14,000  in  the  depart- 
ment of  Arecibo,  only  800  are  negroes,  5000  are  of 
mixed  blood,  the  remainder  being  whites.  There  are 
also  in  Manati  a  few  Chinamen. 

The  most  attractive  of  the  towns  in  the  department 
of  Aguadilla  is  Lares.  Its  charm  is  due  chiefly  to  its 
superb  situation,  1800  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.. 
Its  rich  coffee  plantations  make  it  a  prosperous  region. 
One  man  is  said  to  ship  1,500,000  pounds  of  coffee  a 
year  over  the  almost  impassable  wagon  road  to  Arecibo. 


144         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 


THE  CITY  OF   UTUADO. 


A  long,  steep  hill  leads  to  the  town,  which  is  connected 
with  the  outlying  country  by  several  very  steep  trails. 
Approach  from  the  coast  side  is  difficult.  In  spite  of 
its  remoteness,  the  wealth  of  its  soil  for  coffee  culture 
renders  it  a  thrifty  town  and  the  center  of  a  wide-reach- 
ing trade.  As  many  Castilian  families  have  lived  there 
in  past  years,  the  sentiment  is  strongly  Spanish.  The 
distance  of  Lares  from  the  cities  helps  to  render  the 
inhabitants  most  hospitable  to  strangers. 

Entrance  into  the  town  has  been  described  thus  :  "  As 
the  day  is  dying,  Lares  bursts  into  view  from  the  last 
hilltop,  its  white  buildings  glorified  by  the  crimson  sun. 
It  is  an  exquisite  scene,  the  little  village  with  its  high 


INLAND   TOWNS.  145 

cathedral,  its  red-tiled  roofs  and  the  smoke  of  evening 
fires  burnished  into  gold  by  the  setting  sun.  One  long, 
steep  hill  into  town,  and  the  curious  throngs  in  the 
streets  watch  us  as  we  make  a  last  gallant  canter 
towards  the  barracks,  and  dismount  gradually,  but 
without  assistance." 

The  fame  of  San  Sebastian,  eight  miles  to  the  west  of 
Lares,  is  due  to  the  sparkling  waterfall,  the  warm 
spring,  and  the  two  great  caves  near  by.  It  is  not  a 
commercial  town,  though  coffee  grows  in  great  abun- 
dance in  its  neighborhood. 

By  many  visitors  to  Porto  Rico  the  department  of 
Mayaguez  is  considered  the  paradise  of  the  island.  It 
fills  the  southwestern  portion  and  faces  the  blue  waters 
of  the  Mona  Passage  and  the  Caribbean  Sea. 

For  historic  interest  and  geographic  beauty,  San  Ger- 
man ranks  among  the  first  of  the  inland  towns.  With 
its  narrow  streets,  its  ruined  cathedral,  said  to  have  been 
built  in  1511,  and  its  picturesque  groups  of  people,  San 
German  presents  rare  features  for  the  practice  of  photo- 
graphic art.  A  writer  tells  us  that  in  the  town  there  are 
old  iron  fences,  tall  and  of  elaborate  design,  fastened  to 
massive  stone  pillars  and  inclosing  tangled  growths  of 
tropical  plants.  There  are  plant-covered  balconies  on 
the  houses  of  the  better  class,  and  artistic  dilapidation 
and  decay  among  the  houses  of  the  older  portion  of  the 
town.  The  4000  inhabitants  live  on  a  long,  undulating 
hill.  Below  it  widen  out  in  fertile  acres  the  lovely 
valleys  of  two  rivers,  within  whose  confines  are  found 
in  luxuriance  the  products  of  the  tropics,  —  coffee, 
tobacco,  sugar,  lemons,  bananas,  cocoanuts,  and  tama- 
rinds. The  place  has  a  town  hall,  good  school  buildings, 


146        PORTO    RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

fine  markets,  hospitals,  a  seminary,  and  a  theater.  A 
railroad  connects  it  with  Mayaguez.  Since  1877  it  has 
been  a  city  governed  by  a  mayor  and  a  board  of  council- 
men. 

Anasco,  a  town  of  2483  inhabitants,  is  six  miles  from 
Mayaguez.  The  railroad  which  runs  through  its  midst 
helps  it  commercially.  The  neighboring  village  of  Rio 
Guanroba  was  the  scene  of  the  famous  experiment  by 
which  the  Indians,  in  1511,  tried  to  discover  whether 
the  Spaniards  were  immortal  or  not.  After  holding  a 
representative  of  that  nation  under  water  for  five  hours 
they  satisfied  themselves  that  these  people  were  mortal 
men  and  not  above  suspicion. 

Coamo,  in  the  department  of  Ponce,  was  founded  in 
1640.  It  is  on  the  great  military  road  between  Ponce 
and  San  Juan,  and  is  noted  for  its  warm  mineral  baths. 
Not  only  do  the  people  of  Porto  Rico  visit  the  place  to 
enjoy  its  healing  waters,  but  many  visitors  come  also 
from  other  islands  in  the  neighborhood.  The  salt  works 
of  Coamo  have  been  famous  for  more  than  a  century. 
The  town  was  reached  and  occupied  by  the  American 
forces  the  second  week  in  August,  1898,  only  a  week 
after  they  landed  at  Guanica. 

Any  New  England  or  western  town  of  the  United 
States,  which  had  a  constable  for  every  twenty-four  of 
its  inhabitants,  would  be  regarded  as  an  unsafe  place  to 
live  in.  Yet  this  is  about  the  proportion  in  the  quiet 
inland  town  of  Adjuntas,  which  is  also  in  the  depart- 
ment of  Ponce.  The  officials  can  be  seen  on  the  streets 
at  all  times,  in  their  suits  of  linen  with  narrow  blue 
and  white  stripes,  wearing  belts  and  carrying  swords. 

That  there  are  rough  men  in  the  town  is  evident  from 


148         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF  THE    RICH    PORT. 

the  decorations  of  the  strange  "  Black  Hand,"  the 
token  of  Death,  which  have  been  placed  on  the  door- 
ways of  many  buildings.  It  is  thought,  however,  that 
perhaps  the  mystic  words  are  designed  to  arouse  the 
curiosity  of  Americans,  and  perhaps  to  work  on  their 
feelings. 

Adjuntas  is  situated  twenty-four  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea  and  fifteen  miles  inland.  It  is  a  popular  retreat 
for  mountain-lovers.  Although  so  high  above  the  sea 
level  it  occupies  a  narrow  valley,  surrounded  by  steep 
hills.  In  the  heart  of  the  village  an  open  space  is 
turned  into  a  public  park,  with  cross-walks,  shrubbery, 
and  brilliant  flowers.  There  are  few  good  dwellings, 
most  of  the  houses  being  mere  cabins.  The  views  of 
the  mountains,  with  the  abundant  growths  of  coffee  and 
other  products,  give  the  scenery  about  the  town  an 
attractive  look. 

The  department  of  Guayama  is  on  the  southern  side 
of  the  island,  between  Humacao  on  the  east  and  Ponce 
on  the  west.  A  view  along  the  main  street  of  Caguas, 
the  chief  inland  town,  reveals  a  busy  scene.  All  shades 
of  human  color,  men  of  various  size  and  different  de- 
grees of  rank  are  to  be  seen.  Here  is  the  barefooted 
urchin  with  slouched  hat,  many  sizes  too  large,  pulled 
down  over  his  ears ;  there  the  prosperous  shopkeeper 
in  suit  of  white  and  wearing  a  natty  straw  hat;  here 
the  dainty  maiden  from  a  wealthy  home ;  there  a  poor 
creature  in  rags.  Most  of  the  houses  are  two-storied, 
the  lower  part  being  used  as  a  shop,  the  upper  part  as  a 
home.  Outside  the  limits  of  the  town  are  hundreds 
of  inhabitants  living  in  little  palm-thatched  huts,  where 
the  filth  is  hidden  by  the  plantain  trees  round  about. 


150 


PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 


Cayey,  a  town  of  thirty-five  hundred  inhabitants, 
forms  a  charming  picture  as  we  approach.  Few  places 
on  the  island  are  so  delightful  for  summer  residence. 
Cayey  is  twenty-three  hundred  feet  above  the  sea  and 
halfway  between  the  ends  of  the  military  road.  Its 
situation  will  bring  it  commercial  importance  and  make 
it  a  resort  for  seekers  after  a  mild  but  invigorating 


THE   CITY  OF   FAJARDO. 


climate.  Tobacco  has  done  much  for  the  town  in  a 
commercial  way,  for  Cayey  is  the  center  of  the  fine 
tobacco  fields  of  that  far-famed  region. 

The  department  of  Humacao,  on  the  eastern  side,  is 
only  a  little  more  than  one  fourth  the  size  of  Rhode 
Island.  In  slope  and  physical  outline  it  resembles  the 
state  of  New  Jersey.  It  has  no  inland  towns  of  particu- 
lar importance.  Fajardo,  with  its  population  of  3400,  is 
representative  of  this  part  of  the  island.  There  is  an 


152        PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

unreliable  tradition  that  Columbus  first  landed  near  the 
spot  where  the  little  town  of  Naguabo  is  situated. 
The  old  settlement  was  attacked  and  destroyed  by  the 
Caribs  in  1521. 

The  similarity  of  Porto  Rican  towns  is  evident. 
Agriculture  is  the  business  of  the  people,  and  manu- 
factures as  yet  have  little  place  in  their  industrial  life. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

ROADS. 

No  country  can  prosper  without  good  roads.  Every 
form  of  progress  and  civilization  depends  upon  open  and 
well-built  highways.  They  connect  the  field  with  the 
market ;  they  bring  the  remotest  portion  of  the  interior 
into  touch  with  the  throbbing  life  of  the  seaport ;  they 
save  time ;  they  prevent  the  wear  and  tear  of  animals 
and  wagons ;  they  lessen  the  cost  of  food  and  clothing 
and  secure  a  better  quality  of  each;  they  bring  the 
schoolhouse  and  the  church  nearer  the  home  and  pro- 
vide better  teachers  and  ministers ;  they  promote  social 
life  and  bring  much  closer  to  one  another  friends  living 
at  a  distance ;  they  make  better  citizens  and  aid  them 
in  the  discharge  of  their  political  duties.  The  Roman 
road  followed  the  Roman  eagle. 

Porto  Rico  possesses  what  has  been  called  the  finest 
road  in  the  Western  Hemisphere.  It  is  the  magnificent 
military  road  from  Ponce  across  the  mountains  to  San 
Juan.  The  tremendous  task  of  constructing  this  road 
was  begun  in  1880  and  was  finished  in  1888.  To  build 


ROADS. 


153 


it  mountain  heights  had  to  be  crossed,  gorges  had  to  be 
spanned  and  rivers  bridged,  but  the  work  was  accom- 
plished by  the  Spanish  government  with  great  thorough- 
ness. The  road  is  eighty  miles  in  length,  its  highest 
point  is  three  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  it  cost 
$4,000,000.  A  large  part  of  the  work  was  done  by 
gangs  of  civil  and  military  prisoners  who  were  paid 
but  a  dime  a  day.  Thousands  of  other  men  were  em- 


THE   MILITARY   ROAD,    NEAR    AIBONITO. 

ployed  at  thirty  cents  a  day.  The  prisoners  were 
under  guard,  a  force  of  soldiers  being  always  on  duty 
to  keep  them  from  revolt. 

The  road  is  macadamized  from  end  to  end  with  finely 
broken  rock  of  carbonate  of  lime,  which  packs  into  a 
smooth  and  solid  floor.  As  a  triumph  of  engineering 
skill  it  is  equal  to  the  finest  roads  in  Switzerland.  In 


154         PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

hardness  and  smoothness  it  is  like  such  passes  as  the 
St.  Gothard  and  the  famous  roads  in  the  Engadine.  It 
compares  favorably  with  the  wonderful  road  built  by 
Napoleon,  between  1800  and  1806,  across  the  Simplon 
Pass,  connecting  the  Rhone  Valley  in  Switzerland  with 
northern  Italy.  The  cost  of  the  two  was  about  the 
same.  Napoleon's  road  is  but  half  the  length  of  the 


AIBONITO:    A  VIEW   OF  THE  TOWN. 


Porto  Rican  road,  but  its  culminating  point  is  twice  as 
high.  The  Simplon  road  is  in  as  good  condition  as  it 
was  the  day  it  was  built.  The  road  in  Porto  Rico  is 
likely  to  wear  as  well. 

Every  precaution  is  taken  to  keep  the  magnificent 
Porto  Rican  road  in  repair.  It  is  divided  into  sections 
of  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  miles  in  length,  each 
section  having  a  brick  guardhouse,  usually  square  and 


156        PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

one  story  high.  In  the  guardhouses  live  the  laborers, 
or  peons,  whose  duty  it  is  to  repair  the  road.  By  the 
wayside  are  piles  of  stone  with  which  a  defect  is  mended 
as  soon  as  it  appears,  not  an  hour's  time  being  lost  before 
the  repair  is  made.  Each  peon  is  responsible  for  his 
section.  To  keep  the  road  in  repair  costs  $15,000  a 
year. 

The  road  has  to  contend  with  one  stubborn  foe.  An 
occasional  hurricane  sweeps  away  bridges  and  covers 
larger  portions  with  masses  of  debris.  A  single  hur- 
ricane, in  August,  1899,  damaged  the  road  to  the  extent 
of  $150,000.  Under  the  pressure  of  a  mighty  flood 
ordinary  trestlework  will  not  stand.  The  only  security 
for  bridge  builders  in  Porto  Rico  is  in  solid,  massive, 
stone  masonry. 

The  splendid  highway  follows  a  northeast  course  from 
Ponce,  where  the  ascent  begins.  It  winds  in  and  out 
among  foothills ;  it  passes  through  arches  of  palms ;  it 
skirts  clusters  of  dainty  acacias,  rubber  trees,  and  tree 
ferns.  We  are  charmed  as  we  ride  along,  with  the 
coffee,  cane,  and  tobacco  fields.  Cultivated  moun- 
tain and  fertile  vale  enchant  the  eye.  There  is  no  rest 
season  for  it  all;  its  beauty  entrances  at  all  times  of 
the  year. 

Although  this  royal  road  extends  to  such  heights 
above  the  sea,  there  is  no  part  of  it  that  cannot  be 
traversed  with  a  bicycle.  We  can  make  one  continuous 
coast  of  eight  miles  without  touching  the  pedal. 
The  first  town  we  reach,  eight  miles  from  Ponce,  is 
Juana  Diaz.  It  is  a  typical  Porto  Rican  town,  with 
rickety  houses  at  either  end  of  the  village  street,  having 
the  regulation  open  plaza,  church,  and  in  addition  quar- 


ROADS. 


157 


Ties  of  gypsum  and  lime,  and  a  curious  cave.  A  few 
miles  further  on  we  reach  Coamo,  spread  out  over  fertile 
plains  and  flanked  by  verdant  hills.  From  Coamo  on 
for  several  miles  the  road  descends  rapidly.  Then 
begins  the  steady  pull  to  the  highest  point.  The 
roadway  circles  and  turns,  now  causing  the  traveler  to 
face  the  top  of  the  hill  which  he  is  climbing,  and  again 
to  move  in  exactly  the  opposite  direction. 

Aibonito,  "  Ah  Beautiful,"  is  the  town  at  the  top  of  the 
pass.     From  below  the  view  is  quite  picturesque,  but  the 


THE    MILITARY   ROAD,    NEAR   GUAYAMA. 


closer  approach  disappoints,  because  of  the  dust  and  the 
filth. 

At  Cayey  the  road  unites  with  the  branch  which  runs 
southward  to  Guayama.  The  scenery  at  this  portion  of 
the  road  is  enchanting.  The  hills  are  green  with  pasture 


158         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

lands,  and  with  mango,  laurel,  and  other  groves.  The 
flamboyant,  a  large  and  spreading  tree  rich  with  great 
clusters  of  bright  red  flowers,  blooms  in  the  summer 
months. 

From  Cayey  to  Caguas  tree  ferns  line  the  road ;  the 
slender  bamboo  nods  and  bows;  fruit-bearing  trees 
abound.  It  is  a  truly  tropic  world,  where  cocoanut  and 
royal  palm  luxuriate.  At  Caguas  we  begin  to  feel  that 
we  are  approaching  San  Juan.  The  descent  is  easy  and 
gradual,  and  the  journey  is  made  in  a  short  time.  Little 
taverns  are  passed  here  and  there,  and  peasant  life  may 
be  seen  in  all  its  simplicity.  It  is  poverty,  but  of  a  sort 
that  is  unconscious  of  itself.  The  people  take  life  quite 
jauntily  and  smile  at  the  chance  passer-by. 

At  last  the  salt  marshes  appear,  and  beyond  them  the 
walls  of  San  Juan.  Walls  of  old  masonry,  built  for  the 
protection  of  the  Spanish  soldiery,  stand  along  the  road. 
On  the  east  side  as  we  enter  is  San  Cristobal,  and  bat- 
tered Morro  Castle  stands  at  the  western  end.  This 
ride  from  Ponce  to  San  Juan  gives  the  best  that  the 
island  can  show.  It  reveals  the  scenery,  the  people, 
the  pursuits,  and  the  life  as  nothing  else  can  do. 

With  the  exception  of  the  grand  highway,  and  minor 
roads  from  Aguadilla  to  San  Sebastian,  from  Adjuntas 
to  Ponce,  and  a  few  others,  Porto  Rico  has  no  good 
roads.  And  yet  good  roads  are  one  of  her  greatest 
needs. 

To  develop  a  country  whose  roads  average  six  feet  in 
width  is  impossible.  Add  to  this  the  fact  that  in  rainy 
weather  the  wheels  of  the  farm  wagon  sink  deep  in  mud, 
and  the  condition  becomes  almost  desperate.  Often 
men  and  women  may  be  seen  bearing  heavy  baskets  of 


ROADS.  159 

coffee  to  market  on  their  heads.  More  common  still  is 
the  small  bony  horse  or  donkey,  floundering  in  the  mire 
beneath  a  huge  mass  of  merchandise,  the  driver  sitting 
astride.  In  many  places  oxen  have  been  choked  in 
the  mud.  Some  of  the  roads  are  nothing  more  than 
trails.  When  an  American  ambulance  was  drawn  over 
the  road  between  Yabucoa  and  Maunabo,  it  was  con- 
sidered by  the  natives  a  miraculous  feat. 

During  the  official  visit  of  Dr.  Carroll,  Commissioner 
from  the  United  States,  the  demand  for  good  roads  was 
louder  than  for  anything  else.  The  people  of  Arroyo 
sent  the  message,  "  Without  good  roads  the  riches  of 
the  island  cannot  be  developed."  From  Ponce  came  an 
appeal  on  the  ground  that  the  roads  to-day  are  in  the 
same  primitive  state  that  they  were  when  Porto  Rico 
was  discovered,  four  hundred  years  ago.  Utuado  based 
its  request  on  the  fact  that  the  highways  in  use  were  re- 
tarding the  country's  growth  and  "sapping  its  life  every 
day."  While  at  Utuado  Dr.  Carroll  was  warned  not  to 
go  to  Lares  without  making  his  will.  He  says  of  the 
trip,  "  Mud  holes  and  hillocks  occur  in  each  track,  in 
such  confused  succession  that  while  the  fore  wheel  on 
one  side  is  ascending,  that  on  the  other  is  descending, 
with  the  condition  reversed  for  the  hind  wheels." 

Mr.  A.  G.  Robinson,  who  could  "find  no  pleasure  on 
board  a  Porto  Rican  pony,"  made  the  twenty-five  mile 
journey  from  Yauco  to  Mayaguez  by  carriage.  He 
writes:  "I  reached  my  destination  in  sections.  I  do  not 
know  if  the  whole  of  me  arrived  or  not.  My  knowledge 
of  anatomy  is  too  superficial  to  enable  me  to  determine 
whether  some  portion  of  my  system  does  not,  even  now, 
dangle  from  some  barbed-wire  fence,  or  droop  gracefully 


160 


PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 


among  the  cocoanuts  at  the  top  of  some  tall  tree  along 
the  road.  I  have  had  much  experience  with  the  rocky 
roads  of  the  mountains  of  western  Carolina.  I  have  loi- 
tered along  hub-deep  in  the  thick  black  mud  of  southern 
Illinois  and  Nebraska.  But  for  rocks,  mud,  and  general 
physical  discomfort,  the  first  fifteen  miles  of  that  road 
from  Yauco  to  Mayaguez  can  beat  anything  of  which  I 


NLAND    ROAD. 


know  in  the  United  States,  ten  to  one.  Once  we  mired 
down  completely  and  had  to  be  extricated  by  citizens 
of  the  vicinity.  The  horses  lost  their  pluck ;  the  driver 
lost  his  temper.  At  another  point  I  saw  that  any  attempt 
to  go  on  would  only  result  in  the  utter  collapse  of  the 
horses.  I  ordered  a  halt  for  the  purpose  of  investigating 
possibilities  and  probabilities."  While  engaged  in  the 


THE    FIRST   AMERICAN   CENSUS.  161 

proceeding  a  man  with  a  pair  of  stout-looking  black 
cattle  came  up.  A  contract,  was  made,  the  cattle  were 
yoked  to  the  carriage  and  six  miles  of  the  remainder 
of  the  trip  were  made  at  a  snail's  pace.  The  spokes 
of  the  wheels  at  times  sank  entirely  out  of  sight, 
"  through  the  filling  of  the  spaces  with  a  solid  mass  of 
Porto  Rican  highway."  Ten  miles  before  reaching 
Mayaguez  he  found  a  better  road  and  sweet  relief  from 
difficulty. 

Porto  Rican  railways  are  in  their  infancy.  Some 
years  since,  a  French  company  began  a  system  of  rail- 
ways to  belt  the  island,  a  distance  of  four  hundred  miles. 
Of  this  distance  only  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  miles 
have  been  covered.  The  tracks  are  narrow  gauge,  and 
the  rolling-stock  is  of  an  inferior  quality.  The  entire 
outfit  is  primitive.  There  are  three  main  divisions  of 
the  portion  already  constructed,  the  principal  one 
extending  from  San  Juan  to  Cainuy,  a  distance  of  about 
seventy-four  miles.  Its  chief  stations  are  Arecibo  and 
Bayamon. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  FIRST  AMERICAN    CENSUS. 

THE  taking  of  the  national  census  marks  an  important 
era  in  the  history  of  a  people.  From  the  first  census 
recorded  in  history,  1500  B.C.,  down  to  the  census  of  1900 
in  the  United  States,  each  enumeration  of  a  people  has 
marked  the  movement  of  its  national  life,  whether  for- 
ward or  backward.  The  first  census  recorded  the  "  sum 
of  the  congregation  of  the  Children  of  Israel  after  their 


162        PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

families,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  every 
male  by  their  polls."  By  the  last  United  States  census, 
the  twelfth  in  our  history,  not  only  are  the  names  of  the 
men  given,  but  also  those  of  both  women  and  children, 
together  with  the  age,  place  of  birth,  occupation,  ability 
to  read  and  write,  and  many  other  important  matters. 

As  soon  as  Porto  Rico  became  a  part  of  the  United 
States,  plans  were  set  on  foot  for  taking  a  census.  It 
was  necessary  to  know  the  exact  number  of  people  on 
the  island,  the  proportion  of  males  and  females,  the  num- 
ber of  adults  able  to  read  and  write,  and  the  number  of 
children  needing  an  education.  Home  life,  school  life, 
as  well  as  the  business  life  of  the  future  and  the  health 
of  the  people,  depend  upon  the  correct  understanding  of 
the  actual  condition  of  the  island.  How  to  multiply  the 
products  of  the  soil,  how  to  increase  the  advantages  of 
suffrage,  how  to  promote  good  government,  how  to  unite 
the  interests  of  the  people  more  closely,  —  the  solution  of 
these  and  a  hundred  other  problems  would  be  rendered 
much  easier  by  a  thorough  census  of  the  island. 

An  order  was  issued  by  the  War  Department,  Septem- 
ber 8,  1899,  authorizing  the  taking  of  the  census.  The 
first  article  reads  thus:  "By  order  of  the  President,  a 
census  of  the  population,  of  the  agricultural  products, 
and  of  the  educational  conditions  of  Porto  Rico  shall  be 
taken  on  the  10th  day  of  November,  and  completed  by  or 
before  the  20th  day  of  December,  1899." 

General  J.  P.  Sanger,  Inspector  General,  was  appointed 
director  of  the  census,  with  his  office  in  Washington. 
The  island  was  at  once  divided  into  seven  census  depart- 
ments, with  a  supervisor  appointed  over  each.  The 
islands  of  Vieques,  Culebra,  and  Mona  were  included  in 


THE   FIRST   AMERICAN   CENSUS. 


163 


the  division.     These  seven  departments  were  subdivided 
into  917  enumeration  districts. 

Promptly,  on  November  10,  the  task  began.  It  was 
carried  on  under  great  difficulties.  The  rainy  season 
and  the  hurricane  of  the  preceding  August  had  ren- 
dered intercommunication,  in  many  sections  of  the 


RELATIVE  AREAS  CULTIVATED  IN  PRINCIPAL  CROPS. 

(According  to  the  Census  of  1899.) 

The  following  table  shows  the  relative  importance  of  the  various  farm 
products,  expressed  in  percentages  of  the  total  area  of  cultivated  land : 


PER  CENT. 

Coffee 41 

Sugar-cane 15 

Bananas 14 

Sweet  Potatoes 8 

Indian  Corn ,  4 


Malangas 
Rice  .  . 
Cocoanuts 
Tobacco  . 


PER  CENT. 

.  .   2 

.  .   2 

.  .   1 

1 


All  other  crops 12 


164        PORTO    RICO:    THE   LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

island,  well-nigh  impossible.  Yet  in  spite  of  all  ob- 
stacles the  work  was  completed  within  the  prescribed 
time  and  in  a  thorough,  businesslike  manner.  In  his 
report  General  Sanger  gives  the  names  of  911  per- 
sons who  assisted  in  making  the  enumeration.  It  was  a 
test  of  intelligence  and  business  capacity.  The  schedules 
contained  a  large  number  of  definite  questions,  all  of 
them  requiring  accuracy  and  good  judgment  in  the  enu- 
merators. Sixty-two  of  them  were  women ;  this  was  the 
first  time  that  women  were  given  public  employment, 
other  than  teaching,  in  Porto  Rico. 

Some  facts  of  interest  to  the  American  people  were 
brought  out  by  this  census.  The  population  of  Porto 
Rico  is  denser  than  is  the  case  in  any  other  of  the  West 
Indies  except  Barbados.  There  are  264  persons  to 
the  square  mile.  This  is  about  the  same  as  in  Rhode 
Island.  It  is  twice  as  many  to  the  mile  as  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, three  times  as  many  as  in  Maryland  and  Illinois, 
and  more  than  seven  times  as  many  as  in  Cuba.  In 
England  there  are  540  persons  to  the  square  mile,  in 
Holland  384,  in  Ireland  141. 

There  are  only  about  2200  professional  men  in  the 
island.  Of  these  200  are  lawyers,  220  physicians,  and 
800  teachers.  Nearly  200,000  of  the  people  —  two 
thirds  of  them  women  —  have  no  employment  what- 
ever. 

The  center  of  area,  that  is,  the  point  about  which  all 
parts  of  the  island  balance,  is  about  three  miles  to  the 
north  and  two  to  the  west  of  the  little  town  of  Barros, 
thirty-one  miles  northeast  of  Ponce. 

If  the  island  were  a  flat  surface  without  any  weight, 
and  it  were  loaded  with  the  inhabitants  distributed  as 


THE    FIRST   AMERICAN   CENSUS. 


165 


they  were  in  1899,  each  person  being  supposed  to  have 
the  same  weight,  the  center  of  population  would  be  the 
point  about  which  all  parts  of  the  island  would  balance. 
The  center  of  population  in  Porto  Rico  is  GO  miles  west 
and  2.4  miles  north  of  Barros. 


1790         1800        1810         1820        18UO        1840         I860        1860        1870         1880        1890        1900 
CHART   SHOWING   THE   GROWTH    OF   POPULATION. 

What  is  known  as  the  median  age  is  such  an  age 
that  half  the  people  are  younger  and  half  older.  In 
the  United  States,  according  to  the  census  of  1890,  this 
age  was  21.9  years.  In  Cuba  it  is  20.7  years.  The 
median  age  in  Porto  Rico  is  18.1  years.  It  is  evident, 
then,  that  the  people  of  Porto  Rico  are  two  years 
younger  than  those  in  Cuba,  and  nearly  four  years 
younger  than  the  people  of  the  United  States.  In  one 
of  the  rural  districts  of  the  island,  Bayamon,  the  median 
age  is  only  sixteen  years. 


166         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

The  census  tables  show  that  the  number  of  children 
under  ten  years  of  age  is  larger,  in  proportion  to  the 
population,  than  in  Cuba  or  the  United  States,  or  than 
any  European  country  except  Belgium.  Of  persons 
more  than  thirty  years  of  age  there  are  only  forty  in 
every  thousand,  while  in  the  United  States  there  are 
sixty-two. 

There  are  fewer  elderly  persons  in  Porto  Rico,  pro- 
portionally, than  there  are  in  the  United  States.  Only 
2.6  per  cent  of  the  people  of  the  island  live  to  be  sev- 
enty years  old.  This  is  due  mainly  to  the  fact  that  so 
many  people  disobey  the  laws  of  health,  eat  little  nour- 
ishing food,  live  in  ill-ventilated  houses  and  fail  to  enjoy 
the  pleasures  of  a  wholesome  and  buoyant  life. 

In  1820  only  four  ninths  of  the  population  were  white 
as  against  three  fifths  at  the  present  time.  The  per- 
centage of  mixed  blood  is  83.6,  while  in  Cuba  it  is  only 
52,  in  the  United  States  it  is  14.8  and  on  the  island  of 
St.  Vincent  only  1.8.  It  is  said  that  there  are  few  re- 
gions in  the  western  hemisphere  in  which  the  native 
population  is  so  large  proportionately,  the  foreign-born 
so  small. 

These  matters  are  noted  especially  as  illustrating  the 
nature  of  the  census.  They  bring  out  the  condition  of 
the  island,  its  people  and  resources,  and  the  ground- 
work of  fact  on  which  all  plans  for  improvement  and 
development  must  be  built.  With  the  facts  and  figures 
gathered  by  the  Porto  Rican  census  in  hand,  the  United 
States  2fovernment  will  be  able  to  start  new  movements 

o 

which  will  result  in  the  prosperity  of  the  people  in  the 
home,  the  field,  the  school,  and  the  legislative  hall. 
Sanitary  measures  are  demanded ;  a  better  water  supply 


THE   SCHOOLS   OF    PORTO    RICO.  167 

must  be  provided;  the  death  rate  must  be  reduced;  the 
marriage  laws  must  be  revised.  That  these  and  a  host 
of  other  things  are  rendered,  by  present  conditions,  of 
the  utmost  importance,  has  been  brought  clearly  to  light 
by  the  results  of  this  first  American  census  in  Porto 
Rico. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  SCHOOLS  OF  PORTO  RICO. 

THAT  was  a  bright  day  for  Porto  Rico,  when,  on 
October  1,  1899,  free  public  schools  were  established 
after  the  American  idea.  The  plan  was  devised  by  Gen- 
eral John  B.  Eaton,  who  was  appointed  by  our  govern- 
ment the  first  Superintendent  of  Schools.  General 
Eaton  arranged  that  all  young  persons  between  the  ages 
of  six  and  eighteen  years  should  receive  'instruction  for 
nine  months  each  year.  The  schools  were  to  be  sup- 
ported by  taxation.  All  who  desired  to  study  in  this 
country  were  granted  free  passage  on  steamers  coming 
to  the  United  States. 

Before  our  government  took  up  the  work  the  educa- 
tional system  of  Porto  -Rico  was  in  a  very  imperfect 
state.  Schools  were  held  in  deserted  buildings  and  in 
dwellings  of  the  teachers,  often  in  a  poorly  lighted  room 
on  the  second  floor,  or  in  an  unoccupied  shop.  There 
was  no  school  furniture  worthy  of  the  name.  The  chil- 
dren of  the  island  never  knew  what  it  was  to  study  in 
bright  and  airy  schoolrooms  such  as  are  found  in  our 
American  cities  and  towns. 

It  may  be  worth  our  while  to  visit  one  of  the  schools 


168         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

of  San  Juan  as  it  was  before  the  war.  We  will  climb  a 
flight  of  stairs  and  enter  a  small  room  over  a  shop.  We 
should  never  think  of  its  being  a  schoolroom,  for  it  has 
no  benches,  no  settees,  no  blackboards.  Only  the  thirty 
boys  sitting  on  the  floor  and  the  teacher  at  a  desk  remind 
us  that  we  are  visiting  a  school.  The  boys  are  bright, 
alert  in  body  as  well  as  in  mind,  and  they  listen  closely 
to  all  the  teacher  says,  for  there  are  no  schoolbooks,  and 
all  they  get  is  what  is  said  to  them.  The  lessons  are 
the  simplest  possible.  Reading  is  not  taught,  as  that  is 
learned  by  the  children  at  home.  The  principal  studies, 
such  as  arithmetic  and  geography,  the  teacher  dictates. 
The  pupils  are  not  taught  to  write.  School  hours  are 
from  eight  to  eleven  in  the  forenoon  and  from  one  to 
four  in  the  afternoon.  There  is  no  weekly  holiday ; 
school  is  in  session  every  day  except  Sunday.  Twice  a 
year  there  are  fifteen  days'  vacation. 

A  gentleman  traveling  in  the  island  early  in  1899  wrote 
as  follows  :  "  Everywhere  the  people  are  dissatisfied  with 
their  schools,  and  are  ready  to  welcome  good  American 
schools  and  teachers.  I  have  this  day  visited  some  half 
dozen  colleges  or  public  schools  in  the  beautiful  town 
of  Mayaguez,  said  to  be  the  best-built  city  in  Porto 
Rico,  and  where  the  citizens  are  quite  as  progressive  as 
anywhere  else  in  the  island.  Here  in  Mayaguez,  with 
its  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants,  there  are  perhaps  a  dozen 
public  schools,  half  of  them  for  boys  and  half  for  girls. 
There  are  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  pupils  in  each  school, 
and  two  or  three  teachers.  There  are  no  school  build- 
ings, but  one,  two,  or  three  rooms  in  the  house  where 
the  teacher  lives  are  given  up  to  the  school.  The  course 
includes  religion,  arithmetic  through  fractions  and 


170         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

decimals,  geography,  grammar,  the  history  of  Spain,  and 
geometry,  by  which  is  meant  the  ability  to  draw  parallel 
lines  and  the  various  sorts  of  angles  by  eye."  The 
writer  adds  that  the  reciting  was  by  rote,  parrotlike. 
The  pupils,  both  white  and  colored,  were  quick  to  learn. 

The  government  of  Spain  did  nothing  thoroughly  or 
well  in  the  direction  of  education  in  Porto  Rico.  That 
eighty -seven  per  cent  of  the  people  can  neither  read  nor 
write  speaks  volumes  for  the  neglect  of  the  mother 
country  in  providing  suitable  school  privileges.  It  was 
expected  that  when  a  boy  reached  the  age  of  eight  years 
he  should  go  to  a  boys'  school,  and  every  girl  to  a  girls' 
school.  But  this  was  not  a  law  carried  out  and  enforced. 

When  the  United  States  began  its  educational  efforts 
in  the  island  there  was  very  little  to  build  upon.  New 
foundations  were  laid,  and  the  work  was  pushed  rapidly 
forward.  After  two  years  our  government  made  a  very 
creditable  showing  as  a  result  of  its  enterprise  in  estab- 
lishing schools  in  the  island.  The  census  of  1899  showed 
that  there  were  322,393  children,  between  the  ages  of 
five  and  seventeen  years.  Of  these  only  26,212,  or  eight 
in  every  hundred,  were  attending  school.  It  was  found 
that  the  sum  of  $1, 500,000  was  needed  to  build  and  fur- 
nish schoolhouses.  Part  of  this  amount  has  been  pro- 
vided. Experienced  teachers  who  understand  the  Spanish 
language  have  been  sent  out,  and  the  same  branches  are 
taught  as  in  the  schools  of  the  United  States.  The 
children  are  eager  to  learn,  and  supplies  of  all  kinds 
are  provided,  including  blackboards,  charts,  books,  paper, 
pencils,  and  maps.  Each  teacher  has  about  fifty  pupils 
under  his  care.  At  certain  seasons  of  the  year  the 
children  of  the  poor  are  obliged  to  work  in  the  fields 


THE  SCHOOLS   OF   PORTO    RICO.  171 

Some  are  frequently  kept  at  home  to  help  in  the  care 
of  the  younger  children.  In  many  instances  children 
are  kept  from  school  altogether  for  want  of  proper 
clothing. 

The  United  States  Commissioner  of  Education  visited 
a  school  in  San  Juan  in  1898,  only  two  months  after  the 
island  came  under  our  flag.  He  found  twenty-nine 
small  boys  in  a  room  on  the  second  floor.  On  the  wall 
was  a  map  of  Europe,  one  of  Spain,  one  of  Asia,  one 
of  Africa,  another  of  North  and  South  America,  and  a 
map  of  Porto  Rico.  There  were  also  arithmetic  charts, 
cases  of  insects,  and  some  good  maxims  on  the  wall. 
There  were  rough  benches  for  the  pupils  and  a  rude 
desk  for  the  teacher.  A  boy  of  twelve  stood  by  the 
blackboard  at  work  on  an  example  in  proportion.  Dur- 
ing the  visit  a  reading  lesson  was  given  out  in  Spanish. 
When  the  boys  were  asked  to  whom  Porto  Rico  be- 
longed the  response  was  loud  and  emphatic,  "  To  the 
United  States."  The  pupils  were  asked  who  could  point 
out  this  country  on  the  map.  At  once  several  of  them 
rushed  forward  and  placed  their  fingers  triumphantly  on 
the  correct  place. 

The  American  flag  now  floats  over  every  schoolhouse 
and  is  found  in  every  schoolroom.  The  raising  of  the 
flag  over  the  training  school  at  San  Juan,  January  15, 
1900,  was  a  scene  long  to  be  remembered.  The  build- 
ing was  the  first  to  be  erected  for  the  purpose,  and  is  of 
great  value  to  the  industrial  interests  of  the  island.  On 
that  happy  day,  a  great  company  of  young  people  gath- 
ered about  the  building.  Four  persons  were  chosen  to 
raise  the  flag,  two  young  men  on  the  platform  below,  and 
two  young  ladies  on  the  balcony  above.  When  the  flag 


172         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

reached  the  masthead  a  salute  was  given  by  both  teachers 
and  pupils. 

A  gentleman  traveling  in.  Porto  Rico  in  1899  wrote: 
"  I  was  sitting  in  my  room  at  the  hotel  at  Lares,  tired 
out  after  two  days  on  pony-back,  my  first  trip  into  the 
mountains  of  the  interior,  and  my  first  experience  on 


RAISING  THE   FLAG   AT  THE   FIRST  AMERICAN   SCHOOL,   SAN   JUAN. 

horseback.  My  long  ride,  and  consequent  fatigue,  my 
position,  far  from  home,  family,  and  friends,  in  a  new 
region  where  language,  food,  customs,  all  were  strange, 
made  me  feel  most  lonesome.  Only  a  good  night's  sleep 
could  ward  off  a  threatened  attack  of  homesickness,  a 
longing  to  see  the  land  and  hear  the  language  that  God 
made,  as  the  boys  in  blue  express  it. 

"  Suddenly  a  new  sound  aroused  me,  drew  me  to  the 
porch,  and  brought  a  relief  which  only  travelers  who 


THE  SCHOOLS  OF   PORTO   RICO.  173 

have  been  far  from  the  homeland  can  realize.  Four 
young  girls  on  the  next  porch,  scarcely  visible  in  the 
gathering  darkness,  were  singing : 

"  *  Mee  condree,  teez  of  zee, 
Sueet  land  of  lee-bertee, 

Of  tee  we  zeeng. 
Land  were  mee  faders  died, 
Land  of  tee  peel-greem's  pride, 
From  efree  mountain  side 

Let  freedom  reeng.' " 

Such  sounds  as  these  give  promise  of  a  Porto  Rico  soon 
to  be,  when  the  children  of  to-day  will  become  citizens 
thoroughly  educated  in  the  principles  of  American  liberty. 
The  children  all  sing,  and  such  singing,  so  hearty,  so 
loud,  so  enthusiastic !  Music  is  assuming  growing  im- 
portance in  the  instruction  given  in  the  schools. 

The  eagerness  of  the  children  to  learn  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  some  of  them  walk  between  two  and  three 
miles  to  school  every  day.  Many  of  them  bring  chairs, 
benches,  boxes,  anything  that  will  serve  as  a  seat.  It  is 
hard  to  keep  the  children  from  studying  aloud,  a  habit 
they  have  acquired  under  Spanish  teachers.  Some  of 
the  schools  are  far  up  in  the  mountains  in  the  interior, 
and  are  seldom  visited  ;  others,  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year,  are  cut  off  from  the  main  thoroughfares  by  swollen 
streams.  Some  schools  are  in  a  part  of  the  town  where 
the  voices  of  idle  loungers  on  the  street  are  constantly 
heard.  In  some  cases  the  light  is  dim,  or  ventilation  is 
bad,  or  the  roof  is  leaky.  Often  that  valuable  article 
to  every  schoolroom,  a  clock,  is  not  found ;  and,  in  some 
cases,  if  there  is  one,  the  hands  are  so  fidgety  as  to  make 
it  very  uncertain  just  when  it  is  time  to  have  recess. 


174         PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT 


A   PUBLIC   SCHOOL   AT  ARECIBO. 


Seeing  the  adults  leading  a  humdrum  life  in  their 
wretched  homes,  one  would  say  that  the  people  are 
stupid.  Seeing  the  children  in  school  and  hearing  them 
recite  history  and  grammar,  one  would  call  them  bright. 
General  Davis,  Military  Governor  of  the  island,  says: 
"  The  Porto  Rican  is  quick  to  learn ;  he  has  an  acute  mind. 
I  have  seen  those  in  our  school  who  picked  up  geography 
and  arithmetic  with  great  facility.  I  have  known  no 
more  apt  pupils  anywhere  than  those  native  Porto  Ricans, 
both  black  and  white."  He  says,  further,  that  every  boy 
and  girl  in  the  island  is  anxious  to  learn  English,  and  is 
as  quick  to  get  hold  of  a  new  language  as  any  young 
person  in  the  world. 


THE   SCHOOLS   OF   PORTO   RICO.  175 

Dr.  Martin  G.  Brumbaugh,  ex-Commissioner  of  Edu- 
cation for  the  island,  tells  us  that,  during  the  four  hun- 
dred years  of  its  control,  the  Spanish  government  built 
not  a  single  schoolhouse.  The  department  of  education 
under  our  government  announced  that  it  would  erect 
school  buildings  if  the  municipalities  would  donate  suit- 
able ground.  To-day  there  are  more  than  fifty  wooden, 
brick,  stone,  and  concrete  buildings  in  use. 

The  dedication  of  these  structures  was  in  each  case 
a  gala  occasion.  The  Commissioner  of  Education  was 
usually  present,  accompanied  by  Governor  Hunt  and 
members  of  his  cabinet.  The  children,  dressed  in  cos- 
tumes of  red,  white,  and  blue,  sang  "America"  in 
English,  the  United  States  flag  was  raised  by  some 
official,  and  then  the  children  sang  "  The  Star-Spangled 
Banner."  Formal  addresses  were  made  to  the  assem- 
bled citizens.  In  one  place,  where  a  rural  agricul- 
tural school  was  to  be  dedicated,  pupils  from  Bayamon 
were  carried  three  miles  in  ox-carts.  Fifty  boys  and 
girls  stood  in  each  cart,  waving  small  flags,  cheering 
the  American  republic,  and  singing  its  national  airs. 
The  eight  carts  formed  a  fine  procession. 

Dr.  Brumbaugh  relates  several  instances  showing  the 
sacrifices  the  poor  people  of  the  island  are  making  to  edu- 
cate their  children.  Hundreds  of  boys  and  girls  carry 
their  shoes  and  stockings  to  and  from  school  in  their 
hands.  In  the  mountain  district  above  Corozal  a  boy 
was  found  wearing  a  shirt  at  least  four  sizes  too  large  for 
him.  Upon  inquiry  it  was  learned  that  he  owned  but 
one  shirt,  and  this  was  being  washed.  Lest  the  boy  be 
compelled  to  miss  a  day  in  school,  his  father  gave  his 
son  his  own  shirt,  and  the  only  one  he  had.  The  father 


176         PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE    RICH    PORT. 


carried  on  his  head  over  the  mountains,  twenty  miles 
and  back,  a  case  of  merchandise,  his  bare  back  exposed 
all  that  time  to  the  fierce  rays  of  the  tropical  sun. 

"  These  are  but  types,"  Dr.  Brumbaugh  adds,  "  of  a 
zeal  that  is  almost  a  frenzy  on  the  part  of  the  people  to 
become  educated.  They  are  trying  by  education,  by  in- 
dustry, and  by  obedience 
to  law,  to  prove  their  right 
to  a  place  in  the  sister- 
hood of  states.  They  are 
fondly  looking  for  the 
day  when  the  star  of 
the  beautiful  island  of 
the  sea  shall  nestle  in  the 
folds  of  the  flag  they  love 
as  we  do.  They  are  learn- 
ing what  we  must  all 
learn  with  deeper  mean- 
ing, that  the  door  to  state- 
hood is  the  door  of  the 
free  public  school." 

Dr.  Samuel  M.  Lindsay, 
who  succeeded  Dr.  Brum- 
baugh as  Commissioner 

of  Education  when  other  duties  called  the  latter  back 
to  the  States,  has  taken  up  with  energy  and  skill  the 
work  his  predecessor  felt  compelled  to  lay  down.  The 
schools  are  reaching  a  higher  state  of  efficiency  and 
usefulness  every  month,  and  it  is  Dr.  Lindsay's  work, 
built  on  the  foundation  laid  by  Dr.  Brumbaugh,  that  is 
accomplishing  this  end.  The  American  teachers  serve 
as  earnest,  helpful  assistants  in  putting  into  execution 


DR.  SAMUEL   M.   LINDSAY. 


MONEY   AND   THE    EXCHANGE   OF   COIN.  177 

the  plans  the  Commissioner  suggests,  to  the  measure- 
less advantage  of  the  children  in  the  schools. 

In  the  Lee  mansion  at  Arlington,  a  few  miles  from 
Washington,  is  a  wreath  of  flowers  made  of  porcelain 
and  prettily  colored.  In  the  center  of  the  wreath  are 
the  words,  "  From  the  children  of  Ponce,  Porto  Rico,  in 
enduring  memory  of  General  Guy  V.  Henry."  This 
noble  hero,  made  Military  Governor  at  the  close  of  the 
Spanish-American  War,  founded  the  schools  of  Ponce, 
and  won  the  love  and.  gratitude  of  the  people.  His 
death  caused  universal  sorrow  in  that  region.  The 
schools  established  are  an  enduring  monument  to  his 
memory,  and  this  expression  of  appreciation  on  the 
part  of  the  pupils  is  a  touching  incident,  long  to  be 
remembered. 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

MONEY  AND  THE  EXCHANGE  OF  COIN. 

IN  money  matters  Porto  Rico  has  had  a  number  of 
unhappy  experiences.  In  1895  six  million  Mexican  dol- 
lars, then  in  circulation  in  the  island,  were  called  in,  and 
were  recoined  in  the  same  number  of  pesos  of  less  value. 
The  new  coin  bore  on  one  side  the  words,  "  Isla  de  Puerto 
Rico,"  and  on  the  other  side  the  face  of  the  boy  king  of 
Spain.  The  difference  in  value  amounted  to  more  than 
a  million  dollars,  which  went  into  the  coffers  of  the  crown. 

Soon  after  the  island  fell  into  the  hands  of  our  gov- 
ernment, an  order  was  issued  that  two  Porto  Rican  pesos 
should  be  exchanged,  temporarily,  for  one  American 
silver  dollar ;  but  this  was  not  quite  just  to  the  people. 


178        PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

It  was  based  on  the  assumption  that  a  peso  was  worth 
less  than  fifty  cents,  whereas  its  actual  value  is  sixty 
cents.  The  plan  was,  however,  decided  upon  as  the  only 
possible  arrangement  until  Congress  should  take  action. 
On  April  12, 1900,  the  United  States  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives passed  an  act  providing  "revenues  and  a  civil 


THE  CITY   HALL,   SAN   JUAN. 

government  for  Porto  Rico."  The  eleventh  section  pro- 
vided that  the  coins  then  in  circulation  in  the  island  be 
exchanged  for  United  States  money.  This  included  the 
peso  "  and  all  other  silver  and  copper  coins."  The  value 
of  the  peso  was  to  be  regarded  as  sixty  cents,  and  on  that 
basis  the  exchange  was  made. 


MONEY  AND   THE   EXCHANGE   OF  COIN.  179 

In  accordance  with  government  instructions,  on  the 
twenty-first  day  of  April,  Mr.  James  A.  Sample,  Chief  of 
Division  of  Issue  of  the  United  States  Treasury  at  Wash- 
ington, with  Mr.  William  P.  Watson,  sailed  from  New 
York,  arriving  at  San  Juan  four  days  later.  They  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  exchange  the  silver  and  copper  coins 
of  the  island  for  United  States  money. 

That  their  business  might  be  perfectly  understood,  a 
circular  printed  in  Spanish  and  English  was  sent  out  into 
all  parts  of  the  island.  It  described  the  principal  features 
of  the  Act  of  Congress,  and  announced  that  the  agents 
of  the  government  had  arrived  and  were  about  to  begin 
their  work.  It  named  also  certain  agencies  where  money 
could  be  exchanged,  the  principal  one  being  Messrs.  De 
Ford  &  Co.,  of  Boston  and  San  Juan. 

With  eight  wagonloads  of  specie,  each  drawn  by  four 
mules,  and  under  a  military  escort,  Mr.  Sample  and  Mr. 
Watson  traveled  across  the  island  from  San  Juan  to 
Ponce.  They  speak  in  glowing  terms  of  the  splendid 
military  road  and  the  more  splendid  scenery.  Mr.  Sample 
says :  "  I  have  crossed  the  American  Continent  twice,  I 
have  seen  the  wonders  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the 
Sierras  and  the  Yellowstone  Park,  but  nothing  I  have 
ever  seen  was  so  enchanting  as  the  view  in  the  heart  of 
Porto  Rico.  The  cultivated  heights,  the  marvelously 
exquisite  foliage,  the  royal  palms,  the  superlatively  beau- 
tiful flamboyant,  the  blue  sea  encircling  all,  presented 
a  picture  of  rare  loveliness  never  to  be  forgotten." 

The  people  of  the  island  were  disinclined  to  accept  any 
proposition  of  exchange.  But  Congress  had  taken  action, 
and  it  was  a  matter  of  law  that  the  circulating  medium 
should  be  changed  from  the  Spanish  to  the  United  States 


180         PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

specie  basis.  This  required  a  change  in  standards. 
When,  however,  the  ignorant  people  of  the  island  found 
they  were  getting  but  sixty  cents  for  what  they  had  called 
a  dollar,  they  objected.  Yet  they  were  in  reality  receiv- 
ing the  exact  equivalent  for  their  peso. 

When  the  question  was  asked  by  the  commission, 
"  Will  the  people  in  the  interior  come  forward  with 
their  Spanish  currency  and  have  it  exchanged  at  the 
various  authorized  agencies?"  the  answer  was,  "The 
poor  people  of  the  interior  have  no  money  to  exchange. 
They  live  from  hand  to  mouth.  What  they  earn  they  at 


FORT  SAN   CRISTOBAL,   OCEAN   SIDE. 


once  spend.    Most  of  their  meager  earnings  go  to  support 
their  families." 

Considerable  difficulty  was  encountered  in  the  attempt 
to  convince  the  people  that  the  transfer  was  to  be  made 


IN    POSSESSION   OF   THE    ISLAND.  181 

for  their  good.  The  commissioners  were  obliged  to 
explain  the  situation  and  show  the  advantages  the 
island  would  receive  by  the  transaction.  The  people 
were  informed  that  it  would  help  them  to  become 
Americans ;  it  would  bind  them  to  our  government  and 
would  educate  them  in  American  ways.  The  courtesy 
and  patience  of  the  commission  did  much  to  overcome 
short-sighted  opposition.  There  was  much  delay,  how- 
ever, in  effecting  the  exchange,  because  of  ignorance  and 
blind  adherence  to  old  customs. 

After  completing  the  tour  of  the  island,  Messrs.  Sample 
and  Watson  found  that  they  had  received  5,470,000 
pesos,  in  exchange  for  which  they  had  put  into  circula- 
tion $3,428,544  of  United  States  money.  Since  then 
more  than  200,000  pesos  have  been  shipped  to  New  York. 
These  coins  have  been  taken  to  the  mint  at  Philadelphia, 
and  there  melted  into  bullion  and  recoined  into  the  vari- 
ous denominations  of  United  States  money. 

The  redemption  of  Porto  Rican  coin  has  been  accom- 
plished at  a  cost  to  the  United  States  government  of 
one  half  of  one  per  cent. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

IN  POSSESSION  OF  THE  ISLAND. 

ON  the  twelfth  day  of  May,  1898,  Rear  Admiral  Samp- 
son bombarded  the  fortifications  at  San  Juan,  in  order  to 
test  their  strength.  After  three  hours  he  withdrew  his 
ships  and  cruised  about  in  search  of  Cervera's  fleet. 
Failing  to  find  it,  he  returned  to  Cuba,  whence  he  had 
sailed  for  Porto  Rico. 


182         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

After  the  magnificent  victory  of  our  forces  on  land 
and  sea,  as  soon  as  a  suitable  escort  could  be  obtained, 
General  Nelson  A.  Miles,  with  about  four  thousand 
troops,  left  Cuba  for  Porto  Rico  with  the  purpose  of 
seizing  and  occupying  the  island.  All  who  followed  his 
movements  expected  that  he  would  sail  to  San  Juan 
and  attack  the  fortifications  which  guard  the  entrance 
to  the  harbor.  The  French  cables  had  thoroughly 
advertised  the  supposed  place  of  landing.  This  made 
it  necessary  for  General  Miles  to  change  his  tactics, 
and  disembark  where  the  Spaniards  were  least  prepared 
for  him.  At  the  same  time  the  troops  must  be  landed 
where  they  could  easily  be  carried  to  the  shore. 

July  25,  1898,  he  suddenly  appeared  before  Guanica, 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  island.  After  a  few  shots 
from  the  gunboat  Grloucester  the  town  succumbed.  The 
troops  landed  the  next  day  and  a  light  passage  at  arms 
followed.  The  soldiers  then  marched  on  to  Yauco, 
and  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  the  month  they  reached 
Ponce,  which  surrendered  without  the  use  of  either 
powder  or  shot. 

The  troops  marching  under  the  stars  and  stripes  were 
received  with  huzzas.  The  people  brought  out  from 
their  houses  flowers,  fruits,  and  cool  drinks,  shouting 
enthusiastically,  as  they  gave  these  to  the  soldiers, 
u  Vivan  los  Americanos."  Everybody  wanted  an  Ameri- 
can flag,  and  the  demand  was  so  great  that  General  Miles 
sent  to  Washington  for  a  fresh  supply. 

It  was  expected  that  strong  resistance  to  the  American 
forces  would  be  made  at  Aibonito,  because  of  the  high 
and  commanding  position  of  the  town.  Before  the  town 
was  reached,  however,  the  war  had  come  to  an  end. 


184        PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

The  protocol  was  signed  at  Washington,  August  12, 
and  the  next  day  peace  was  proclaimed  in  Porto  Rico. 
By  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  the  Spanish  government 
agreed  to  "  cede  to  the  United  States  the  island  of  Porto 
Rico  and  the  other  islands  which  are  at  present  under 
the  sovereignty  of  Spain  in  the  Antilles."  It  was  further 
agreed  that  the  Spanish  authorities  should  at  once  leave 
these  islands. 

On  the  sixth  day  of  September  six  commissioners  met 
at  San  Juan  to  decide  upon  the  details  of  the  evacuation 
of  Porto  Rico  and  the  neighboring  islands  under  the 
dominion  of  Spain.  Three  of  the  commissioners  repre- 
sented Spain  and  three  the  United  States.  Rear  Ad- 
miral W.  S.  Schley,  Major  General  J.  R.  Brooke,  and 
Brigadier  General  W.  W.  Gordon  acted  for  our  govern- 
ment. The  conference  was  conducted  in  a  mutually 
respectful  and  cordial  manner,  the  Spanish  commis- 
sioners treating  the  victors  with  characteristic  cour- 
tesy. It  was  arranged  that  the  eighteenth  of  October 
be  made  the  day  for  the  retiring  of  the  old  government 
and  the  incoming  of  the  new. 

In  his  report  to  the  War  Department,  General  Miles 
says,  "  During  the  nineteen  days  of  campaign  I  kept  the 
Spaniards  guessing  what  the  next  move  would  be. 
When  they  withdrew  along  the  line  of  the  great  military 
road  between  Ponce  and  San  Juan  they  destroyed  the 
bridges,  obstructed  roads  and  fortified  strong  positions 
in  the  mountain  passes,  and  then  were  surprised  to  find 
that  one  column  of  my  army  was  sweeping  around  the 
west  of  the  island,  capturing  the  principal  cities  and 
towns,  while  another  had  passed  over  the  mountains  and 
the  trail  which  the  Spaniards  had  supposed  impassable, 


186         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

and.  therefore,  had  not  been  fortified  nor  guarded ;  and 
the  first  they  knew  of  the  march  of  the  American  army 
was  the  appearance  of  a  strong  brigade,  within  twenty 
miles  of  the  northern  coast,  at  the  terminus  of  the  road 
connecting  San  Juan  with  Arecibo. 

"  The  island  of  Porto  Rico  was  fairly  won  by  the  right 
of  conquest  and  became  a  part  of  the  United  States. 
The  sentiment  of  the  people  was  in  no  sense  outraged  by 
the  invaders.  A  people  who  have  endured  the  severity 
of  Spanish  rule  for  four  centuries  hailed  with  joy  the  pro- 
tection of  the  republic.  One  of  the  richest  sections  of 
country  over  which  our  flag  now  floats  has  been  added, 
and  will  be  of  lasting  value  to  our  nation  politically, 
commercially,  and  from  a  military  or  strategic  point  of 
view." 

The  short  and  decisive  campaign  in  Porto  Rico  was 
rather  a  disappointment  to  the  American  soldiers.  They 
had  come  many  hundred  miles  in  hot  and  stifling  trans- 
ports, many  of  them  had  seen  no  fighting  whatever,  and 
yet  they  were  suffering  all  the  ills  of  a  tropical  climate 
in  midsummer.  What  had  they  to  show  for  their  ser- 
vice to  their  country?  There  were  serious  obstacles  to 
overcome,  but  these  seemed  to  many  of  small  conse- 
quence, as  compared  with  the  opportunity  of  facing  the 
enemy  on  the  battle-field,  and  achieving  victory. 

There  were  no  more  than  four  engagements  during 
the  campaign,  although  our  troops  were  on  the  eve  of 
several  battles  when  peace  was  declared.  General  Wil- 
son had  come  up  the  great  military  road  almost  to  its 
summit  and  was  at  the  door  of  Aibonito.  General 
Brooke  had  made  a  flank  movement  from  Arroyo  and 
held  the  mountain  town  of  Cayey  in  his  grasp.  The 


188         PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

western  portion  of  the  island,  from  Aguadilla  to  Maya- 
guez  and  from  Guanica  to  Yauco  onward  to  Adjuntas 
and  farther  north  to  Arecibo,  was  in  our  possession. 

Large  numbers  of  Spanish  soldiers  were  in  the  moun- 
tains.    The  Spanish  troops  lacked  discipline,  and  their 

officers  failed  to  use 
the  admirable  posi- 
tions which  nature 
had  placed  within 
their  reach.  They 
could  have  caused 
the  Americans  end- 
less annoyance,  and 
could  have  hampered 
them  in  their  prog- 
ress, by  stationing 
garrisons  on  the 
heights  overlooking 
the  narrow  roads  and 
firing  upon  the  troops 
below. 

The  American  sol- 
diers on  Porto  Rican 
soil  were,  on  the 

GENERAL   GUY  V.    HENRY. 

other  hand,  skillfully 

handled.  The  army  and  its  machinery  moved  like  clock- 
work. As  an  officer  under  General  Miles  says :  "  People 
who  speak  of  the  Porto  Rico  campaign  as  a  picnic,  be- 
cause results  were  obtained  so  easily,  do  not  understand 
that  there  were  plenty  of  difficulties,  in  fact,  they  have 
always  confronted  northern  men  making  war  in  a  rough 
tropical  country.  That  these  difficulties  formed  no 


SETTING    UP  THE   NEW   GOVERNMENT.  189 

barrier  to  the  success  of  the  expedition  is  due  to  the 
perfection  of  plan  and  excellence  of  execution." 

It  was  a  matter  of  rejoicing  to  all  lovers  of  peace  that 
the  campaign  in  Porto  Rico  closed  so  quickly.  The 
country  was  spared  the  devastation  resulting  from  a 
long  and  bitter  war,  with  the  consequent  ruin  of  crops, 
the  stagnation  of  business,  and  the  wrongs  to  the  defense- 
less inhabitants. 

The  announcement  of  peace  brought  joy,  apparently, 
to  both  the  conquerors  and  the  conquered.  Troops 
from  both  armies  freely  mingled.  The  people  saw  in 
the  coming  of  the  American  flag  the  dawn  of  a  brighter 
day. 

The  campaign  in  the  island,  brief  as  it  was,  left  some 
men  wounded  ;  others  were  reduced  by  malarial  fever. 
These  were  sent  north,  leaving  eight  thousand  troops 
under  command  of  General  Brooke,  who  acted  as  mili- 
tary governor.  Late  in  1898  he  left  the  island,  and 
General  Guy  V.  Henry  was  appointed  to  take  his  place. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

SETTING  UP  THE  NEW  GOVERNMENT. 

FOR  350  years  Porto  Rico  was  under  the  control  of 
Spain.  All  public  affairs  were  in  the  hands  of  the 
governor  general,  who  reported  to  the  Spanish  king  or 
queen.  The  condition  of  the  people  depended  upon 
the  personal  character  of  the  various  governors.  From 
the  day  (March  2,  1510)  when  Ponce  de  Leon,  that  cold 
and  cruel  master  of  men,  began  his  career  as  governor 


190        PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND  OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

general,  down  to  the  October  day  in  1898,  when  Manuel 
Macias  stepped  down  from  the  governor's  chair,  the 
record  of  the  117  governors  of  Porto  Rico  has  been  far 
from  creditable  to  Spain. 

The  governor  general  controlled  all  civil  and  mili- 
tary affairs.  He  made  the  laws  and  acted  as  judge  in 
interpreting  them.  He  was  president  of  the  supreme 
court,  and  though  a  special  jurist  was  appointed  to 
decide  legal  questions,  the  governor  could  follow  the 
advice  of  the  jurist,  or  not,  as  he  chose.  The  position 
was  one  of  such  power  that  its  temptations  were  equally 
great.  The  spoils  system  was  too  often  in  general  prac- 
tice. 

Up  to  August  28,  1870,  the  people  had  had  no  voice 
in  the  control  of  their  own  affairs.  At  that  time  the 
island  was  divided  into  districts,  and  twelve  men  were 
chosen  by  the  people  to  oversee  public  works,  roads, 
prisons,  schools,  etc.  They  were  also  to  make  up  the 
annual  estimate  of  expenses  for  their  twelve  judicial 
districts.  Although  they  had  no  regular  salaries,  they 
were  paid  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  taxes  on  commerce  and 
industry,  and  they  received  a  certain  proportion  of  the 
earnings  from  raffles  and  lotteries.  It  was  during  the 
administration  of  these  men  that  the  island  was  divided 
into  the  seven  departments  already  described.  This  sys- 
tem was  kept  up  for  four  years,  but  in  1874  the  old 
order  of  things  was  restored. 

During  the  last  ten  years  of  the  nineteenth  century 
Spain  was  compelled  to  make  a  show  of  self-government 
in  her  West  Indian  possessions.  This  was  attempted  in 
Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.  In  addition  to  the  governor 
general  and  his  cabinet,  arrangements  were  made  for 


192         PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND    OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

an  assembly  to  be  elected  by  the  people.  The  rights 
and  duties  of  this  assembly  were  very  few.  The  system 
was  started  February  11,  1898.  Eight  months  later  our 
flag  floated  over  the  legislative  hall  of  San  Juan. 

In  Cuba  the  plan  was  a  farce,  and  it  was  never  fully  in- 
stalled in  Porto  Rico.  The  governor  general  held  the 
reins  in  his  own  hands,  as  from  the  beginning  there  were 
what  might  be  called  a  state  treasurer  (intendente),  a  mil- 
itary officer  (commandante)  over  each  department,  and 
a  mayor  (alcalde)  over  each  city  ;  yet  over  all  rested  the 
authority  of  the  high  official  at  the  capital,  the  governor 
general. 

On  October  the  18th,  1898,  at  exactly  twelve  o'clock, 
Spain  withdrew  her  troops  from  San  Juan.  It  was  a 
memorable  occasion.  As  our  soldiers  stood  waiting  for  the 
hour  of  noon,  many  eyes  were  lifted  towards  the  bare 
flagpoles  from  which  in  a  moment  the  stars  and  stripes 
would  float.  A  peal  from  the  sweet-toned  bell  on  the 
cathedral  near  by  told  that  the  long-expected  moment 
had  come.  Instantly  the  deeper  strokes  of  the  great 
clock  on  the  City  Hall  were  heard.  The  lighter  and  the 
heavier  tones  answered  one  another,  until  the  last  stroke 
of  twelve  had  sounded.  Then  from  every  flagstaff  in 
the  city  floated  the  banner  that  suggested  to  George 
P.  Morris  the  lines, 

"  The  union  of  lakes,  the  union  of  lands, 

The  union  of  states  none  can  sever. 

The  union  of  hearts,  the  union  of  hands, 

And  the  flag  of  our  union  forever." 

A  detachment  of  United  States  troops  stood  drawn  up 
before  the  palace  of  the  governor  general,  another  body 


SETTING    UP  THE   NEW   GOVERNMENT.  193 

of  soldiers  filled  the  plaza  in  front  of  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies  and  the  City  Hall.  As  the  last  echoes  of  the 
Spanish  bugle  died  away  from  behind  the  guns  of  Morro 
and  San  Cristobal,  sixteen  hundred  Spanish  soldiers 
marched  out  and  down  the  crowded  streets  to  the  camp 
at  Santurce.  Their  places  were  taken  by  Americans. 

As  the  stars  and  stripes  rose  over  the  public  buildings 
a  shout  of  enthusiasm  rose  from  the  ranks  of  soldiers  on 
the  pavements  beneath.  Twenty-one  guns  were  fired 
from  the  walls  of  Morro  Castle.  It  was  the  birthday  of 
Porto  Rican  freedom.  The  most  thoughtful  considera- 
tion was  shown  to  the  defeated,  and  the  Spanish  spirit 
was  not  wounded  by  show  of  bravado  or  self-glorifica- 
tion. 

Major  General  J.  R.  Brooke,  of  the  United  States  Army, 
was  at  once  appointed  military  governor.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded, two  months  later,  by  Major  General  Guy  V. 
Henry.  General  George  W.  Davis,  who  took  General 
Henry's  place  the  following  May,  created  a  bureau  of 
state  and  municipal  government,  a  bureau  of  internal 
revenue,  bureaus  of  education,  agriculture,  public  works, 
a  judicial  board,  and  boards  of  charities,  health,  and 
prison  control.  General  Davis  was  a  wise,  economical, 
and  progressive  Governor. 

By  act  of  Congress,  approved  April  12,  1900,  a  special 
form  of  government  was  established  in  Porto  Rico. 
The  chief  executive  is  called  "  The  Governor  of  Porto 
Rico."  He  is  appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate.  He 
resides  on  the  island,  and  holds  office  four  years. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  also  appoints  an 
Executive  Council  consisting  of  eleven  persons,  —  a 


194        PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

secretary,  an  attorney  general,  a  treasurer,  an  auditor, 
a  commissioner  of  the  interior,  a  commissioner  of  edu- 
cation, and  five  other  persons  of  good  repute.  Five  of 
the  eleven  must  be  natives  of  Porto  Rico.  This  body 
of  eleven  men  might  be  called  the  governor's  cabinet. 

The  Executive  Council  is  similar  in  many  respects  to 
our  Senate.  Corresponding  to  our  House  of  Represent- 
atives there  is  a  House  of  Delegates.  It  consists  of 
thirty-five  persons,  five  chosen  from  each  of  the  seven 
districts  into  which  the  island  is  divided,  as  nearly 
equally  as  possible,  according  to  population.  The  Exec- 
utive Council  and  House  of  Delegates  together  make  up 
the  Legislative  Assembly  of  Porto  Rico.  This  assembly 
manages  the  civil  affairs  of  the  island.  A  bill  may  orig- 
inate in  either  house.  It  cannot,  however,  become  a  law 
until  it  has  passed  both  houses  by  a  majority  vote  of  the 
members  of  each  house,  and  has  been  approved  by  the 
governor  within  ten  days  thereafter. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  appoints  a  district 
judge,  a  district  attorney,  and  a  marshal,  for  each  dis- 
trict, each  for  a  term  of  four  years.  Regular  terms  of 
court  are  held  twice  a  year  at  Ponce.  Special  terms 
may  be  held  at  Mayaguez  when  necessary.  All  pro- 
ceedings of  the  court  are  conducted  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. 

The  prison  system  in  Porto  Rico  was  a  disgrace  to  the 
Spanish  authorities.  When  our  government  took  pos- 
session of  the  island,  the  prisons  were  filled  with  prison- 
ers who  had  been  confined  for  years  without  trial,  or 
awaiting  sentence.  Their  condition  was  deplorable,  both 
physically  and  morally.  To-day  the  penal  institutions 
are  excellent.  General  J.  P.  Sanger  tells  us  that  they 


SETTING    UP   THE    NEW   GOVERNMENT.  195 

"  will  compare  favorably  in  point  of  sanitation  with  such 
institutions  in  other  tropical  countries." 

The  civil  government  was  established  May  1,  1900. 
At  sunrise  on  that  day  there  were  serenades  by  the 
bands  of  the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Cavalry  and  the 
Porlo  Rican  regiment.  There  was  music  on  the  princi- 
pal plazas  of  San  Juan,  and  crowds  of  interested  specta- 
tors and  listeners  were  gathered  together. 

The  troops  began  to  assemble  at  eight  o'clock.  Later 
the  governor-elect  received  in  the  plaza  the  United 
States  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery,  as  well  as  the 
sailors  and  marines,  from  the  fleet  in  the  harbor  of  San 
Juan,  and  the  Porto  Rico  regiment. 

At  the  executive  mansion,  on  an  extension  of  the  bal- 
cony and  in  adjoining  rooms,  prominent  residents  of  the 
island  were  assembled.  The  streets  and  roofs  of  build- 
ings in  the  neighborhood  were  crowded  with  people, 
while  General  Davis,  standing  under  a  canopy  of  flags, 
gave  his  farewell  address.  In  closing  his  speech  he 
made  use  of  these  words  : 

"  On  this  memorable  occasion  I  make  acknowledg- 
ment of  feelings  of  the  deepest  gratitude  to  the  people, 
for  the  hospitable  reception  and  innumerable  manifesta- 
tions of  cordial  cooperation  in  executing  the  difficult 
tasks  assigned  to  me  and  my  military  assistants.  I 
deem  it  fortunate  to  leave  the  civil  administration  so 
many  competent  and  efficient  servants. 

"  Now,  sir,  to  you,  the  first  governor  named  for  the 
post  by  the  President  in  pursuance  to  the  Act  of  Con- 
gress, I  have  the  high  honor  and  proud  satisfaction  of 
delivering  to  your  keeping  the  government  of  Porto 
Rico." 


196         PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

After  prayer  had  been  offered  by  the  Bishop  of  Porto 
Rico  the  oath  of  office  was  taken  by  the  Hon.  Charles  H. 
Allen,  the  first  civil  governor  of  Porto  Rico  appointed 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States.  It  was  admin- 
istered by  the  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court.  The 
crowd  applauded,  and  seventeen  guns  were  fired  from 
Fort  Morro,  Fort  San  Cristobal,  and  the  fleet.  Governor 
Allen  addressed  his  hearers  as  the  inhabitants  of  "  the 
ever  faithful  island  of  Porto  Rico,"  to  whom  he  brought 
the  good  wishes  of  the  United  States.  In  the  name  of 
the  President  he  promised  that  men  of  character  and 
high  standing  would  see  that  justice  was  done  to  all, 
and  that  their  sole  regard  would  be  the  welfare  of  the 
island.  His  closing  words  were :  "  Henceforth  we  are 
under  one  flag.  We  are  under  the  same  institutions  of 
freedom,  equality,  and  education.  Together  -we  move 
on  in  the  great  American  current  of  advancing  civili- 
zation. Loving  our  country,  animated  by  a  high  sense 
of  honor,  devoted  to  a  common  humanity,  we  take  our 
place  before  the  world  and  invoke  on  our  progress  the 
blessing  of  Almighty  God." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  eloquent  address  Chaplain 
Brown  pronounced  a  benediction.  The  infantry  band 
played  "  The  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  and  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  first  governor  of  Porto  Rico  was  at  an  end. 
Since  the  day  of  these  interesting  ceremonies  the  new  gov- 
ernment in  the  island  has  come  into  successful  operation. 

The  question  is  often  asked  of  Porto  Ricans,  "  How 
do  you  like  being  Americans?"  The  answer  is  almost 
always,  "We  like  it."  It  was  the  wish  of  the  United 
States  government  to  make  changes  slowly,  and  not  to 
offend  the  feelings  of  the  people  so  long  accustomed  to 


SETTING    UP   THE   NEW   GOVERNMENT. 


197 


a  fixed  form  of  government.  Spanish  arms,  Spanish 
laws,  Spanish  schools,  Spanish  methods  of  agriculture 
were  everywhere  apparent.  To  introduce  changes  re- 
quired time. 

In  one  respect  an  unexpected  change  came  with  the 
new  order  of  things.  The  people  had  always  been  accus- 
tomed to  much  ceremony  ;  the  officers  wore  conspicuous 
uniforms;  when  the  governor  general  appeared  in 
public,  it  was  with  much  demonstration.  But  when  the 
Hon.  Charles  H.  Allen  landed  at  San  Juan  to  assume 
the  duties  of  his  new  posi- 
tion, he  was  not  arrayed  in  a 
splendid  uniform  with  brass 
buttons,  insignia  of  rank,  a 
helmet,  a  sword,  and  accom- 
panied by  a  bodyguard  of 
United  States  soldiers.  He 
wore  a  plain  suit  of  citizen's 
clothes  and  a  straw  hat.  This 
was  a  surprise  to  the  people, 
something  of  a  setback.  They 
were  so  absorbed  in  watching 
for  the  next  move,  or  in  look- 
ing for  the  governor  himself 

to  appear  in  imposing  regalia,  that  they  could  not  cheer. 
It  was  their  first  lesson  in  the  simplicity  of  a  republican 
form  of  government. 

It  is  the  general  opinion  of  those  who  know  the  island 
best,  that  the  people  are  not  yet  ready  for  self-government. 
It  seems  absolutely  necessary  that  the  control  of  affairs 
should  be  shared  both  by  Americans  and  Porto  Ricans. 
The  natives  should  have  a  prominent  part  in  managing 


HON.  CHARLES  H.  ALLEN. 


198        PORTO'  RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE    RICH    PORT. 

their  own  affairs,  and  our  power  over  them  should  be 
made  use  of  only  when  necessary. 

Major  Azel  Ames,  of  the  United  States  army,  believes 
that  the  people  are  fast  getting  ready  for  self-govern- 
ment. He  says  they  are  very  anxious  to  learn.  He  tells 
incidentally  of  a  cook  whom  he  found  sitting  on  a  hard 
stone  floor,  taking  lessons  in  English  of  a  St.  Thomas 
negro,  at  a  cost  of  two  cents  a  lesson. 

A  native  of  the  island  says :  "  I  have  four  sons  whom 
I  am  educating  in  English.  I  expect  that  they  will  be 
loyal  citizens  of  the  United  States.  I  cannot  live  many 
years  longer,  but  I  want  to  see  them  go  to  the  front  in 
loyalty  and  cooperation  with  the  government  of  the 
United  States  for  the  future  of  those  here."  This  spirit 
will  make  patriotic  Americans. 

There  seem  to  have  been  so  far  in  the  affairs  of  Porto 
Rico  since  American  occupation,  three  stages  of  public 
opinion :  First,  one  of  enthusiasm,  which  began  when  the 
United  States  took  possession  of  the  island,  and  a  bright 
future  seemed  to  open  for  all  industries.  Second,  a 
stage  of  discouragement,  growing  out  of  the  tariff  law, 
the  severe  hurricane  of  August  8,  1899,  and  the  failure 
to  market  the  great  staple  products  to  any  pecuniary 
profit.  Third,  the  stage  of  reconstruction.  Recovery  from 
the  losses  and  the  waste,  from  disappointment  and 
despair,  has  fairly  set  in  ;  the  latest  crops  are  unusually 
large  ;  the  schools  are  increasing  in  number  and  becom- 
ing constantly  better ;  the  second  sober  thought  is  one 
of  hope  and  courage. 

At  the  close  of  his  first  year  as  chief  magistrate  of 
Porto  Rico,  Governor  Allen  made  his  annual  report  to 
the  President  of  the  United  States.  In  this  report  he 


THE   EARLY    INHABITANTS.  199 

encourages  young  men  to  settle  in  that  island.  He  says 
that  property  is  as  well  protected  there  as  in  the  United 
States  ;  the  forms  of  court  administration  are  as  good  ; 
there  is  a  surplus  of  laboring  men,  accustomed  to  the 
tropics,  and  adapted  to  the  kind  of  work  to  be  done. 
"  It  is  my  feeling,"  says  Governor  Allen,  "  that  the 
business  man  will  come  here  not  only  with  his  capital, 
bat  with  the  push  and  energy  which  always  accompany 
nis  undertakings,  and,  with  the  cooperation  of  the  native, 
he  will  proceed  to  make  at  least  five  spears  of  grass 
grow  where  one  has  grown  before." 

Governor  Allen  resigned,  Sept.  15, 1901,  and  the  Hon. 
William  H.  Hunt  became  governor  of  the  island. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE  EARLY   INHABITANTS. 

THE  original  dwellers  in  Porto  Rico  belonged  to  what 
is  known  as  the  "Stone  Age."  We  know  them  princi- 
pally by  such  stone  implements  as  may  be  seen  at  the 
Smithsonian  Institute  at  Washington.  These  implements 
are  of  curious  design,  and  it  is  difficult  to  tell  for  what 
purpose  some  of  them  were  made.  There  are  celts  (small 
hatchets),  smoothing  stones,  stools,  beads,  cylinders, 
amulets,  masks,  collars,  etc.  The  historians  who  write 
of  the  voyages  of  Columbus  speak  of  stone-tipped  arrows 
and  arrows  tipped  with  bone,  teeth,  and  shells. 

The  hatchets  at  the  Smithsonian  are  of  thorough 
workmanship,  beautifully  shaped  and  polished,  and  they 
are  of  various  colors  —  black,  white,  green,  brown,  and 
slate  colored. 


200         PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF   THE    RICH    PORT. 

An  early  writer,  describing  a  visit  of  Spaniards  to  Porto 
Rico,  says  that  they  found  a  town  of  a  thousand  inhabit- 
ants. The  principal  men  came  out  to  meet  them,  and 
leading  the  visitors  by  the  arms  into  the  town,  they 
caused  them  to  sit  down  upon  curious  seats.  Each  seat 
was  made  of  a  solid  piece  of  wood  carved  in  the  shape 
of  a  beast.  The  legs  were  very  short,  and  in  the 
head  were  set  eyes  and  ears  of  solid  gold.  The  Indians 
sat  about  on  the  ground.  Specimens  of  just  such  stools 
as  these  may  be  seen  in  the  collection  of  Porto  Rican 
relics  at  Washington. 

There  are  certain  stones  carved  in  the  form  of  a 
human  being  holding  up  a  mountain.  One  end  of  the 
stone  is  cut  to  resemble  the  human  face.  The  feet  at 
the  other  end  seem  to  be  curled  up  in  a  bunch.  The 
use  to  which  these  stones  were  put  is  not  known. 

Of  all  the  relics  from  Porto  Rico,  the  queerest  are 
the  collars,  so  called  from  their  resemblance  to  horse 
collars.  They  vary  in  size  from  a  heavy  oval  to  slender, 
pear-shaped  collars.  They  are  made  of  stone  and  are 
from  19  to  23  inches  in  breadth,  and  some  of  them  weigh 
as  much  as  65  pounds  each.  They  have  been  found 
nowhere  except  in  Porto  Rico.  The  carving  on  some 
of  the  collars  is  of  the  finest  workmanship.  As  some 
are  better  finished  and  have  more  ornamentation  than 
others,  there  was  probably  a  distinction  in  their  use. 
Strangely  enough,  some  were  evidently  made  for  the 
right  shoulder  and  others  for  the  left.  Professor  O.  H. 
Mason,  who  has  made  considerable  study  of  Porto  Rican 
relics,  says  he  does  not  know  whether  the  collars  were 
worn  by  victims  sacrificed  upon  the  altar,  or  by  military 
heroes,  or  how  they  were  used. 


THE    EARLY    INHABITANTS. 


201 


A  Porto  Rican  priest,  who  has  given  the  matter  some 
attention,  thinks  that  they  were  to  be  buried  with  the 
body  in  the  grave.  Carving  on  stone  was  such  a 
slow  process  that  it  took  years  to  prepare  a  collar  for 
the  time  of  burial.  By  the  time  the  owner  died  he  had 
it  ready  for  his  tomb.  It  was  placed  over  his  head  and 
rested  on  the  breast.  It  served  as  a  sacred  charm  ;  no 


RUINS  AT   PUEBLO  VIEJO,    PORTO   RICO'S    FIRST  TOWN. 

hands  on  the  earth  or  under  the  earth,  the  natives  believed, 
dared  rifle  the  tomb  containing  this  sacred  object. 

Mr.  F.  Bidwell,  British  Consul  to  the  island  in  1879, 
has  published  an  account  .of  the  Porto  Rican  Indians  of 
the  early  days.  From  his  narrative  the  following  facts 
are  taken : 

The  Indians  of  Porto  Rico  paid  homage  to  a  guardian 
spirit  called  Oemi.  The  spokesman  of  this  spirit  was  the 


202         PORTO   RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

medicine  man,  who  acted  as  a  priest,  also.  The  medicine 
men  declared  war  or  proclaimed  peace,  arranged  winter 
and  summer,  gave  sunshine  or  rain  and  whatever  else 
was  needed.  The  Cemi  always  said  exactly  what  the 
medicine  men  wished  him  to  say.  When  promises  made 
were  not  fulfilled,  they  said  that  the  Cemi  had  changed 
his  mind  for  some  good  reason  of  his  own.  The  Cemi 
was  only  another  name  for  the  medicine  man  himself, 
who  always  said  what  the  cacique  or  chief  of  the  tribe 
wished  him.  to  say.  Each  cacique  had  under  his  charge 
a  small  district,  which  usually  included  the  people 
living  in  a  single  valley,  and  over  all  the  smaller  tribes 
was  the  head  cacique.  At  the  time  of  the  conquest  of 
Spain  the  head  cacique  was  Aqueybana. 

Their  forms  of  marriage  are  unknown  to  us,  but  it 
appears  that  each  man  had  more  than  one  wife,  while  the 
chiefs  had  more  than  any  of  their  subjects,  one  being  the 
special  favorite.  As  a  mark  of  affection  those  best  loved 
were  buried  alive,  upon  the  death  of  their  husbands.  If 
they  did  not  offer  themselves  voluntarily,  they  were  com- 
pelled to  give  themselves  up  to  death  against  their  will. 

The  Indians  painted  their  bodies,  using  for  this  pur- 
pose oils,  gums,  and  resins  taken  from  trees  and  plants. 
They  appeared  at  public  assemblies,  military  parades, 
and  powwows,  in  a  tattooed  state.  Fantastic  ornamenta- 
tions and  trimmings  were  a  part  of  the  dress.  Huge 
headdresses  of  gayly-colored  feathers  added  to  the  effect. 
They  wore  small  plates  of  gold  on  the  cheeks,  and  huge 
shells,  precious  stones,  and  relics  hung  from  their  noses 
and  ears.  Every  Indian  had  about  his  person  an  image 
of  the  god  Cemi.  The  chief  was  distinguished  from  his 
subjects  by  the  large  gold  plate  on  his  breast. 


THE   EARLY    INHABITANTS.  203 

Their  houses  were  built  upon  logs  driven  into  the 
ground.  Upon  these  the  floor,  made  of  cane  or  sticks, 
was  laid.  The  walls  were  of  cane,  bound  together  with 
palm  leaves  and  bark,  and  meeting  in  the  center  like 
the  poles  of  a  tent.  There  were  neither  chimneys  nor 
windows,  light  being  admitted  by  the  door  only.  In 
the  very  best  of  these  huts,  airholes  or  windows  were 
left  in  the  cane. 

In  some  parts  of  the  island  just  such  frail  huts  can 
still  be  found.  They  are  above  ground,  that  the  in- 
mates may  avoid  the  dampness  which  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year  chills  the  body,  often  causing  fevers. 

The  Indians  lighted  their  fires  by  means  of  three 
sticks.  Two  of  the  sticks  were  tied  together  at  one  end. 
The  point  of  the  third  was  laid  against  the  ends  of  the 
others,  and  they  were  beaten  together  between  the 
palms  of  the  hands,  until  a  flame  was  produced. 

In  place  of  bedsteads  they  had  hammocks,  called 
Tiamaca;  their  cooking  utensils  were  made  of  gourds. 
They  hewed  canoes  out  of  the  trunks  of  trees ;  from 
these  they  fished  in  the  rivers.  Some  of  the  largest 
canoes,  which  held  from  forty  to  fifty  men,  were  used 
for  sea  voyages.  The  Indians  fought  with  bows  and 
arrows,  and  in  warfare  they  used  also  a  long  wooden 
weapon  somewhat  resembling  a  scimiter. 

The  people  lived  an  idle  and  aimless  life,  doing  just 
as  little  work  as  possible.  They  cultivated  only  suffi- 
cient supplies  for  their  bare  support,  the  chief  products 
of  the  soil  being  plantains,  sweet  potatoes,  and  maize. 
The  women  took  care  of  the  gardens,  while  the  men 
spent  their  time  in  hunting  and  fishing.  As  relishes 
for  their  scanty  table  they  ate  insects,  and  even  lizards 


204         PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

and  bats.  They  had  neither  money,  nor  weights  and 
measures.  They  hated  stealing,  and  punished  the  thief 
with  death. 

We  know  from  the  presence  of  the  images,  every- 
where found,  that  the  Indians  were  devout  worshipers  of 
their  god  Cemi.  Each  district  had  its  temple,  and  there 
the  idol  was  placed.  To  these  places  of  worship  the 
caciques  went  with  the  medicine  men.  The  latter  hid 
behind  the  idol  and  expressed  by  word  of  mouth  the  will 
of  the  chief.  The  food  taken  to  the  Cemi  was  eaten 
by  the  priests.  Stone  or  clay  images  of  the  god  were 
also  kept  in  dark  corners  of  the  houses,  and  to  these  the 
people  prayed  at  certain  stated  times. 

They  believed  in  two  invisible  beings ;  —  one  was 
naturally  benevolent,  and  neither  prayer  nor  supplica- 
tion was  required  to  obtain  his  favor.  From  the  other 
invisible  being  misfortune,  trouble,  and  calamity  were  to 
be  feared,  and  offerings  and  prayers  to  him  were  neces- 
sary in  order  to  relieve  hunger.  The  Indians  regarded 
him  as  the  enemy  of  mankind,  the  being  from  whom  all 
evils  sprang.  They  cast  themselves  prostrate  before  their 
god  and  sprinkled  certain  kinds  of  powder  on  his  head. 
The  stone  images  of  Cemi  were  handed  down  from 
father  to  son.  Some  of  these  images  have  been  found  in 
quite  recent  times.  Their  resemblance  to  each  other 
serves  to  prove  the  unity  of  the  religious  belief,  while 
the  existence  of  these  images  in  various  places,  both  on 
the  coast  and  in  the  interior,  shows  that  the  island  was 
inhabited  in  all  directions.  It  is  believed  that  skeletons 
of  some  of  the  Indians  may  still  exist  in  caves  and 
grottoes  not  yet  explored. 

The  natives  believed  in  a  future  life.     They  pictured 


THE   EARLY    INHABITANTS. 


205 


a  land  of  supreme  delight,  where  there  was  eternal 
spring  and  where  they  would  find  beautiful  forests 
filled  with  game  and  watered  by  rivers  abounding  in 
fish. 

When  one  of  the  chiefs  became  sick  the  priest-doctor 
was  called.  He  performed  several  ceremonies,  partak- 
ing meanwhile  of  the  same  diet  as  the  sick  man.  If  he 
did  not  comply  strictly  with  this  and  other  obligations, 
and  the  man  died,  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  de- 


SAN    FRANCISCO   CHURCH,   SAN    JUAN. 

ceased  put  out  the  doctor's  eyes,  or  inflicted  other  pun- 
ishments upon  him. 

When  the  Indians  saw  that  a  sick  person  was  near 
death  they  suffocated  him,  even  if  he  was  a  chief.  After 
death  they  opened  and  dried  the  body  by  fire  and  buried 
it  in  a  large  cave,  together  with  some  living  women,  the 


206        PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

bows  and  arrows  of  the  deceased  and  provisions  for  his 
journey  to  the  other  world.  Sticks  and  branches  of 
trees  were  then  placed  on  the  top,  and  the  whole  mass 
was  covered  with  earth,  which  was  thus  kept  from  the 
bodies  of  those  buried  within. 

The  dance  was  an  important  feature  of  the  life  of  the 
Indian.  It  was  a  most  serious  ceremony.  If  war  was 
declared  the  dance  expressed  vengeance;  if  the  wrath 
of  Cemi  was  to  be  softened,  the  death  of  a  friend  to  be 
lamented,  or  the  birth  of  a  son  celebrated,  the  special 
dance  was  introduced  which  expressed  the  particular 
emotions  of  the  heart.  If  an  Indian  was  ill,  they  danced 
in  order  that  he  might  recover;  the  medicine  man  danc- 
ing for  the  patient,  if  he  was  too  weak  to  do  it  himself. 
The  war  dance  surpassed  all  others  in  signification,  in 
quickness  of  movement,  and  in  intensity.  It  represented 
the  departure  of  the  warriors,  their  entry  into  the  enemy's 
country,  precautions  as  to  camping,  ambuscades,  sur- 
prises, the  rage  of  the  conflict,  the  shouts  of  victory,  the 
capture  of  prisoners  and  entrance  into  the  victor's  coun- 
try. Each  dancer  was  as  much  in  earnest  as  if  he  were 
actually  on  the  field  of  battle. 

The  musical  instruments  were  rude  and  had  a  harsh, 
sing-song  sound.  Drums  were  made  from  the  hollow 
trunks  of  trees,  other  musical  instruments  out  of  the 
gourd. 

The  Indians  had  a  game  of  ball,  in  which  women  took 
part.  When  not  occupied  with  dancing  or  necessary 
labor,  the  men  passed  their  time  in  smoking,  seldom 
speaking  a  word. 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH.  207 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH. 

CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS,  in  a  private  letter  to  the 
King  of  Castile,  wrote  that  navigation  "  is  the  art  which 
they  should  pursue  who  wish  to  know  the  secrets  of  the 
world."  His  own  enthusiasm  for  exploring  the  world's 
secrets  we  know,  because  six  months  after  his  return  to 
Spain,  at  the  close  of  his  first  voyage,  he  was  out  on  the 
ocean  again,  sailing  to  the  westward.  He  was  far  better 
equipped  for  this  second  voyage  than  for  the  first.  The 
earlier  fleet  was  composed  of  three  caravels,  and  only  120 
men.  He  set  forth  on  his  second  expedition  with  seven- 
teen caravels  and  a  force  of  650  men. 

Voyaging  was  slow  in  those  days,  and  although  the 
brave  adventurers  sailed  from  Spain,  September  25 
(1493),  it  was  not  until  forty  days  later  that  they 
reached  Santo  Domingo,  their  first  landing  place. 

While  cruising  in  the  northern  waters  of  the  Carib- 
bean Sea,  on  November  16,  Columbus,  by  this  time  an 
admiral,  caught  sight  of  land.  It  was  the  southeastern 
corner  of  Porto  Rico,  now  known  as  Cape  Mala  Pascua. 
The  explorers  sailed  along  the  southern  shore,  rounded 
Point  del  Aguila,  and  proceeded  up  the  western  side  of 
the  island.  Turning  towards  the  northeast  they  landed 
at  Aguada. 

Columbus  at  once  took  possession  of  the  island  in  the 
name  of  Spain.  He  planted  the  cross  in  the  sand  and 
called  the  island  San  Juan  Bautista,  in  honor  of  John 
the  Baptist.  The  landing  place  is  to-day  marked  by  a 


208         PORTO    RICO:   THE    LAND   OF   THE   RICH    PORT. 

granite  monument  erected  by  the  people  in  1893,  just 
four  centuries  after  Columbus  discovered  the  island. 
The  monument,  which  is  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  bears 
the  inscription,  —  1493  — 19  de  Noviembre  — 1893  — . 

After  remaining  in  the  island  several  days,  Columbus 
returned  to  Santo  Domingo.  There  is  no  record  of  a 
second  visit  to  Porto  Rico.  When  he  had  founded  a 
colony  in  Hispaniola  he  returned  to  Spain. 

An  ambitious  man,  Ponce  de  Leon,  who  had  accom- 
panied Columbus  on  his  second  voyage,  remained  behind 
in  Santo  Domingo.  After  trying  in  vain  to  find  in 
Florida  the  fountain  of  perpetual  youth,  de  Leon  sought 
for  gold  in  Porto  Rico.  He  sailed  from  Santo  Domingo 
in  1508,  with  a  single  ship,  a  small  party  of  Spaniards, 
and  a  few  Indians  to  serve  as  guides.  Upon  his  land- 
ing at  Aguadilla  he  was  kindly  received  by  the  unsus- 
pecting chief  Aqueybana,  who  conducted  him  to  various 


A  VIEW  OF  AGUADILLA. 

(The  cross  marks  the  location  of  the  monument  erected  at  the  place  where  Columbus 
landed,  November  19,  1493.) 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH. 


209 


parts  of  the  island.  Having  assured  himself  beyond 
a  doubt  that  the  island  abounded  in  gold,  de  Leon  went 
back  to  Santo  Domingo  and  reported  to  Governor 

Ovando.  „ ,., 

The  governor 
decided  to  con- 
quer the  island, 
and  he  accord- 
ingly sent  over 
an  expedition 
under  Ponce  de 
Leon  to  do  the 
work.  This  bold 
but  cruel  and  un- 
principled leader 
quickly  brought 
the  simple,  un- 
warlike  Indians 
under  his  sway. 
A  year  or  two 
later  he  founded, 
near  the  present 
site  of  San  Juan, 
a  town  which  he 
named  Caparra. 
The  town  was 
afterwards  called 
Porto  Rico.  In 
1521,  by  command  of  the  King  of  Spain,  the  capital 
was  transferred  to  its  present  location.  Some  years 
later  the  name  of  Porto  Rico  was  given  to  the  island, 
and  the  name  of  San  Juan  to  the  capital. 


THE    MONUMENT   MARKING   THE    LANDING   PLACE  OF 
COLUMBUS. 


210         PORTO   RICO:   THE   LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

Ponce  de  Leon,  who  had  been  appointed  governor  of 
Porto  Rico,  took  up  his  official  residence  at  Caparra. 
From  there  he  began  his  work  of  subduing  the  island. 
He  established  a  village  at  Guanica,  on  the  southern 
side,  which  was  abandoned  on  account  of  the  ferocious 
mosquitoes  and  the  unhealthful  climate.  A  town  was 
then  founded  where  Columbus  landed,  at  Aguada,  and 
another  at  San  German. 

The  new  colonists  began  their  search  for  gold  by  open- 
ing the  mines.  The  native  Indians  were  treated  with 
contempt  and  brutality.  They  were  made  to  do  all  sorts 


PONCE  DE  LEON  STATUE  AND  PLAZA,  SAN  JUAN. 

of  work  —  burn  lime,  wash  gold  from  the  sand,  and  per- 
form other  kinds  of  menial  labor.  Finally,  the  native 
chiefs  rose  in  revolt  and  a  bitter  rebellion  broke  out. 
At  first  they  threatened  the  safety  of  the  colony,  so  that 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH. 


211 


the  Spaniards 
were  com- 
pelled to  with- 
draw to  the 
eastern  side 
of  the  island, 
near  San Juan 
and  Caparra. 
But  the  bows 
and  arrows  of 
the  Indians 
of  Borinquen 
(the  name 
given  to  the 
island  by  the 
natives)  were 
no  match  for 
Spanish  arms. 
As  soon  as 
Ponce  de  Leon 
attacked  the 
unskilled  In- 
dians, the 
tide  quickly 
turned.  He 

was  victorious  in  every  battle,  until  the  rebellion  was 
ended  by  the  death  of  the  principal  chief.  The  submis- 
sion of  the  Indians  was  complete,  5500  of  them  being 
made  slaves. 

The  number  of  people  on  the  island  when  it  was  in- 
vaded by  the  Spaniards  is  supposed  to  have  been  about 
100,000,  although  some  give  the  population  as  600,000. 


COLUMBUS  MONUMENT,  SAN  JUAN. 


212        PORTO    RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

When  the  Spaniards  first  took  possession,  "  it  was,"  as 
an  old  writer  says,  "  as  full  of  people  as  a  hive,  and  as 
beautiful  and  fertile  as  a  garden."  Under  the  Spanish 
oppression  the  entire  native  population  was  swept  away. 
Some  of  the  Indians  were  taken  as  spoils  of  war,  many 
fled  to  neighboring  islands,  some  took  their  own  lives, 
others  were  carried  off  by  smallpox.  On  April  20, 1543, 


CASA   BLANCA,  SAN  JUAN. 

the  King  of  Spain  ordered  the  Indians  to  be  freed.  A 
year  later  the  Bishop  of  San  Juan  informed  his  majesty 
that  "  Indians,  young  and  old,  natives  of  the  island,  who 
.had  been  granted  such  menyy,  numbered  sixty." 

The  beauty  of  Porto  Rico,  its  resources  and  treasures, 
and  its  central  location,  made  it  appear  very  desirable 
to  the  great  nations  of  Europe.  The  first  effort  to  take 
the  island  from  Spain  was  made  by  Sir  Francis  Drake. 


RELICS  OF  THE  WAR  WITH   SPAIN.  213 

He  attacked  San  Juan  with  a  fleet  of  twenty-four  ships, 
and,  after  a  sharp  engagement,  the  city  was  captured  and 
burned.  In  1597  the  Earl  of  Cumberland  blockaded 
and  captured  San  Juan  arid  took  possession  of  the  island. 
Owing  to  an  epidemic  of  yellow  fever,  which  took  away 
many  of  his  troops,  he  withdrew.  Before  doing  so, 
however,  he  burned  the  city  to  ashes  and  massacred 
many  of  the  inhabitants.  He  carried  off  seventy-two 
pieces  of  artillery. 

The  Dutch  under  Baldwin  Henry  tried  to  obtain  con- 
trol of  the  island  in  1615.  Although  this  leader  had 
with  him  seventeen  ships  and  twenty-five  hundred  men, 
his  siege  of  twenty-eight  days  was  of  no  avail,  and  the 
Dutch  were  driven  away,  with  serious  loss. 

The  next  unsuccessful  attack  was  made  by  the  French 
in  1626.  In  1696,  a  large  British  fleet  attacked  the 
capital  but  was  itself  destroyed  by  a  hurricane.  A 
century  later  a  British  squadron  with  sixty-five  hundred 
men,  under  Lord  Abercrombie,  opened  fire  on  San  Juan, 
but  withdrew  after  a  fortnight's  siege.  After  that  time 
no  hostile  vessel  approached  San  Juan,  until  the  opening 
of  the  Spanish-American  War. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

RELICS   OF  .THE   WAR    WITH   SPAIN. 

THE  City  of  Washington  presents  few  attractions 
equal  to  the  National  Museum.  It  is  a  treasury  of  relics 
illustrating  American  history.  Beginning  with  the  ear- 
liest stages,  it  follows  the  course  of  events  through 
Pilgrim  days,  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  the  Kevolu- 


214        PORTO   RICO:    THE    LAND   OF  THE   RICH    PORT. 

tioli,  the  War  of  1812,  the  Mexican  and  Civil  wars,  down 
to  the  present  time.  To  continue  the  historical  data, 
Mr.  W.  F.  Holmes,  head  curator  of  anthropology  in  the 
museum,  conceived  the  idea  of  having  a  man,  familiar 
with  the  scenes  of  the  Spanish-American  War,  collect 
material  for  this  department.  Mr.  Paul  Beckwith,  who 
was  selected  for  this  purpose,  has  gathered  together 
many  interesting  relics,  which  bring  the  annals  of  Amer- 
ican history  up  to  date. 

Trophies  of  this  sort  are  like  the  crops ;  they  must  be 
harvested  at  the  right  time  or  all  is  lost.  Mr.  Beckwith 
was  in  the  war  and  seized  upon  his  opportunity  promptly. 
As  a  result  the  museum  has  several  large  cases  in  which 
there  are  many  relics  of  the  late  war  with  Spain.  Among 
them  are  fragments  of  shrapnel  from  the  American 
battery,  and  the  shell  which  exploded  in  the  rifle  pits 
of  Aibonito  Mountain,  killing  several  Spaniards. 

The  bombardment  of  San  Juan,  May  12,  1898,  left  its 
mark  on  the  buildings  of  the  city.  Pieces  of  shell, 
which  burst  in  the  streets  or  exploded  in  the  church  of 
San  Francisco  de  Assisi,  are  to  be  seen  in  the  museum. 
Relics  of  Spanish  control  are  found  there :  revolvers 
used  by  the  custom-house  guard  at  Ponce  ;  also  speci- 
mens of  the  machete,  some  short  and  curved,  some  long 
and  pointed  like  a  general's  sword.  One  can  bend  this 
fine  Toledo  blade  so  that  the  point  will  touch  the  hilt 
without  breaking.  Silver  insignia  of  Spanish  military 
rank  —  buttons,  and  numerals  marking  the  regiment  of 
each  soldier — are  exhibited.  Such  badges  as  the  clover 
leaf  serve  to  note  the  rank  of  the  officer. 

Among  the  grim  souvenirs  to  be  found  in  this  col- 
lection are  leg  shackles  used  by  the  Spaniards  to  bind 


RELICS   OF   THE   WAR   WITH   SPAIN.  '     215 

slaves  previous  to  the  emancipation  proclamation  of 
1868.  The  breaking  of  the  iron  chain  of  slavery  left 
the  ignorant  classes  in  need  of  many  reforms :  their 
daily  wages  were  low ;  their  children  were  brought  up 
in  ignorance.  We  have  seen  how  much  our  government 
is  doing  to  correct  these  evils. 

The  most  interesting  relics  of  Porto  Rico  at  the  Na- 
tional Museum  are  the  keys  of  forts,  and  flags,  ensigns, 
and  banners  taken  from  the  Spaniards.  Especially  to  be 
noted  is  the  flag  lowered  from  the  Custom  House  at 
Ponce,  when  the  city  surrendered  to  the  United  States 
forces.  The  yellow  stripe  of  this  had  been  painted  red 
to  mislead  the  Americans.  The  flag  from  the  military 
headquarters  at  Arecibo,  and  the  flag  captured  at  Coamo 
are  also  found  in  the  collection.  There,  also,  is  the 
flag  that  floated  over  San  Cristobal,  May  12,  1898, 
during  the  bombardment  by  our  fleet  under  Admiral 
Sampson.  The  upper  right-hand  corner  shows  the 
royal  standard  of  Spain. 

These  relics  of  the  Spanish-American  war  make  very 
real  to  us  the  leading  events  of  that  struggle,  so  unex- 
pected and  forming  so  important  an  epoch  in  American 
history. 

A  visit  to  the  National  Cemetery  at  Arlington  will 
heighten  the  impression  and  make  more  vivid  the  con- 
flict of  1898.  There,  side  by  side  with  the  heroes  of  the 
Civil  War,  are  the  soldiers  of  the  Spanish-American  War. 
One  part  of  the  cemetery  is  set  apart  for  the  bodies  of 
the  heroes  who  died  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.  There 
also  repose  the  bodies  of  the  men  who  neither  fell  in 
battle  nor  died  in  hospitals,  but  were  killed  in  that  awful 
catastrophe,  —  the  destruction  of  the  battle  ship  Maine. 


PRONUNCIATION   OF   FOREIGN  WORDS. 


a  as  a  in  far. 
a  as  a  in  fate. 
g  as  e  in  met. 


KEY. 


e  as  e  in  me. 
o  as  o  in  tone, 
oo  as  oo  in  ooze, 


Adjuntas,  ad-hoon'-tas. 
Aguada,  a-gwa/-da. 
Aguadilla,  a-gwa-del'-ya. 
Aguas  Buenas,  a'-gwas  bwa'-nas. 
Agueybana,  a-gwa-e-ba'-na. 
Aguila,  a'-gwe-la. 
Aibonito,  a-e-bon-e'-to. 
Alcalde,  al-cal'-da. 
Alganabo,  al-ga-na'-bo. 
Anasco,  an-yas'-ko. 
Annatto,  an-nat'-to. 
Antilles,  an-tel'-yaz. 
Arecibo,  a-ra-se'-bo. 
Arroyo,  ar-ro'-yo. 

Ballaja,  bal-ya'-ha. 
Barceloneta,  bar-sa-15-na'-ta. 
Barros,  bar'-ros. 
Bayamon,  ba-ya-mon'. 
Boqueron,  bo-kai-rSn'. 
Boquilla,  bo-kel'-ya. 

Cabo  Rojo,  ka'-bo  ro'-ho. 

Cacique,  ka-sek'. 

Caguas,  ka'-gwas. 

Caja  del  Muerto,  ka'-lia  dal  moo- 

ar'-to. 

Camuy,  ka-moo-e'. 
Caparra,  ka-par'-ra. 
Cayey,  ka-ya'. 


Ceiba,  sa'-ba. 
Cemi,  sa'-ine. 
Cerro  Montuoso,  sar'-ro  inon-too- 

o'-so. 

Cervera,  sar-va'-ra. 
Cinchona,  sen'-cho-na. 
Coamo,  ko-a'-mo. 
Comandante,  ko-man-dan'-ta. 
Concejo,  kon-sa'-ho. 
Cordoba,  kor'-dd-ba. 
Corozal,  ko-ro-sal'. 
Culebra,  koo-la'-bra. 

Desecho,  da-sa'-ch5. 
Dorado,  do-ra'-do. 

El  Asomanta,  el  a-so-man'-t£L 
El  Yunque,  el  yoon'-ka. 

Fajardo,  fa-har'-do. 


Guanabana,  gwa-na'-ba-na. 
Guanajibo,  gua-na-he'-bo. 
Guanica,  gwa-ne'-ka. 
Guanijiro,  gwa-ne-he'-ro. 
Guayama,  gwa-ya'-ma. 
Guayanabo,  gwa-ya-na'-bo. 
Guayanes,  gwa-ya'-nas. 
Guilante,  ge-lan'-ta. 
217 


218 


PRONUNCIATION   OF   FOREIGN   WORDS. 


Hacienda  Perla,  a-se-an'-da  par'-la. 
Hormigueros,  6r-me-ga'-ros. 
Hucares,  oo-kar'-ras. 
Huraacao,  oo-ma-ka'-o. 

Intendente,  en-tan-dan'-ta. 
Isabela,  es-a-ba'-la. 

Jacaguas,  ha-ka'-gwas. 
Jelapa,  a-la'-pa. 
Juanajebos,  hoo-an-a-ha'-bos. 
Juan  Diaz,  hoo-an'  de-as'. 
Juana  Diaz,  hoo-an '-a  de-as'. 

Lares,  la'-ras. 

Las  Marias,  las  ma-re'-as. 

Las    Tetas    de    Cerro   Gordo,  las 

tat'-as  de  sar'-ro  gor'-do. 
Loiza,  lo-e'-sa.    . 
Luquillo,  loo-kel'-yo. 

Machete,  ma-cha'-ta. 

Majagua,  ma-ha'-gwa. 

Mala  Pascua,  ma'-la  pas'-kwa. 

Manati,  ma-na-te'. 

Martin  Pena,  Mar'-ten  Pan'-ya. 

Maunabo,  ma-oo-na'-bo. 

Mayaguez,  ma-ya-gwas'. 

Mayama,  ma-ya'-ma. 

Moca,  mo'-ka. 

Mona,  mo'-na. 

Monserrate,  mon-sar-ra'-ta. 

Morro,  mor'-ro. 

Naguabo,  na-gwa'-bo. 

Palo  Seco,  pa'-16  sa'-ko. 
Parguera,  par-gwa'-ra. 
Pepinos,  pa-pe'-nos. 
Plata,  pla'-ta. 
Playa,  pla'-ya. 
Plaza,  pla'-sa. 


Ponce,  pon'-sa. 
Porto  Real,  por'-t5  ra-al  . 
Porto  Rico,  por'-to  re'-ko. 
Prieto,  pre-a'-to. 

Pueblo  Viejo,  poo-ab'-lo  ve-a'-ho. 
Punta  Santiago,  poon'-ta  san-te-a'- 
go. 

Quintana,  ken-ta'-na. 

Rincdn,  ren-kon'. 
Rio  Grande,  re'-6  gran'-da. 
Rio  Guanabo,  re'-5  gwa-na'-bo. 
Rio  Piedras,  re'-6  pe-a'-dras. 

Saba  Grande,  sa'-ba  gran'-da. 

Sabana,  sa-ba'-na. 

Sabanita,  sa-ba-ne'-ta. 

Salinas,  sa-le'-nas. 

Salto  de  los  Morones,  sal'-to  da  16s 

m5-ro'-nas. 

San  Cristobal,  san  kres-to'-bal. 
San  Francisco,  san  fran-ses'-ko. 
San  German,  san  har-man'. 
San  Juan,  san  hoo-an'. 
San  Sebastian,  san  sa-bas-te-an'. 
Santa  Allala,  sari'-ta  al-la'-la. 
Santa  Alta,  san'-ta  al'-ta. 
Santo  Domingo,  san'-to  do-men'-go. 
Santurce,  san-toor'-sa. 

Tabanuco,  ta-ba-noo'-c5. 
Tanama,  ta-na'-ma. 
Toa  Alta,  t5'-a  al'-ta. 
Torre,  tor'-ra. 

Utuado,  oo-too-a'-do. 
Vieques,  ve'-a-kas. 

Yabucoa,  ya-boo-ko'-a. 
Yauco,  ya-oo'-k5. 


INDEX. 


Abercrombie,  Lord,  213. 
Adjuntas,  68,  76,  78,  83,  110,  120, 

146-148,  158,  188. 
Agouti,  116. 
Aguada,  210. 
Aguadilla,  110,  138,  139,  158,  188, 

208. 

Aguas  Buenas,  62. 
Aibonito,  57,  67,  110,  157,  182. 
Alcalde,  35,  192. 
Allen,  Gov.  Charles  H.,  108,  196. 
Allspice,  106. 
America,  South,  60. 
"America,"  singing,  173,  175. 
American  flag,  63  ;  forces,  81. 
Ames,  Major,  198. 
Amusements,  49. 
Aiiasco,  River,  70  ;  town  of,  146. 
Andalusia,  46. 
Anglo-Saxons,  30,  36. 
Annatto,  107. 
Ansoba,  114. 

Antilles,  Greater,  16  ;  Lesser,  16. 
Aqueybana,  208. 
Arecibo,  64,  67,  68,  188;  church 

of,    137  ;    harbor  of,    23,    137 ; 

poor  quarters  of,  41 ;  River,  68, 

70,  137. 
Arlington,  177  ;  National  Cemetery 

at,  215. 

Arrowroot,  106. 
Arroyo,  81,  138,  159,  186. 
Atlantic  Ocean,  24,  66,  67. 
Azaleas,  108. 
Azores,  16. 


Bahamas,  16,  101. 

Ballaja,  128. 

Bamboo,  113. 

Bananas,  81,  99,  101. 

Barbados,  112,  164. 

Barceloneta,  68. 

Barley,  104. 

Barros,  68,  164. 

Bayamdn,  city  of,  67,  142  ;  River, 

68,  123. 
Bay  rum,  139. 
Bean,  74. 
Beet,  106. 
Beggars,  33,  34. 
Begonia,  108. 
Bermudas,  106. 
Bidwell,  M.  F.,  201. 
Bixa,  114. 
Bombay,  76. 
Bonitos,  123. 
Boquer6n,  136. 
Boquilla  Point,  68. 
"Borinquen,"  48,  211. 
Breadfruit,  101. 
Breadseller,  26. 
Breadstuffs,  104. 
Bronson's  Deep,  55. 
Brooke,   General,    122,   184,   186, 

189,  193. 

Brown,  Chaplain,  196. 
Brumbaugh,  Dr.  M.  G.,  175,  176. 
Bullfighting,  50. 


Cabbage,  106. 
Cabo  Rojo,  82,  137. 


219 


220 


INDEX. 


Caguas,  62,  148,  158. 

Calabash,  114. 

California,  24,  79,  87,  100,  108. 

Camellias,  108. 

Camuy,  140. 

Canoes,  203. 

Caparra,  142,  209,  210. 

Cape  Verd  Islands,  77. 

Capuchin  monkey,  118. 

Caribbean  Sea,  16,  18,  24,  60,  68, 
145. 

Carolina,  67,  76,  140. 

Carroll,  United  States  Commis- 
sioner, 40,  44,  46,  159. 

Casa  Blanca,  128,  130. 

Cascades,  71. 

Cassava,  74,  106. 

Castor  oil,  107. 

Caves,  60,  63-65. 

Cayey,  67,  78,  96, 150, 157, 158,186. 

Cedar,  15. 

Ceiba,  114. 

Celery,  106. 

Cemi,  201. 

Census,  161  ;  taking  of  the,  162  ; 
tables,  166. 

Centipedes,  122. 

Cerro  de  Guilante,  57,  70. 

Cerro  de  Montuoso,  57,  70. 

Cervera,  Admiral,  181. 

Changa,  92. 

Children,  173,  174. 

Chinese,  45,  65,  143. 

Cigar  sellers,  28. 

Cinchona  tree,  107. 

Cinnamon,  106. 

Clams,  123. 

Clay,  75. 

Climate,  Y6-79. 

Cloves,  106. 

Clubs,  130. 

Coamo  hot  springs,  71 ;  River,  68; 
town  of,  68,  146. 

Coca,  107. 


Cocaine,  107. 

Cockfighting,  35,  49,  50. 

Cocoa  palm,  103,  111. 

Cocoanuts,  102,  103. 

Coffee,   berry,    93 ;  growing,   92 ; 

preparing,  94  ;  as  a  product,  95  ; 

market,  95  ;  profit  of,  95. 
Coffin  Island,  140. 
Coir,  112. 

Collars,  ancient,  200. 
Colorado,  24. 
Columbus,  16,  20,  45,  80,  98,  109, 

152,  207,  210. 
Commandante,  192. 
Concejo,  cave  of,  64. 
Confetti,  51. 

Cordillera,  57  ;  Central,  82,  94, 110. 
Cordoba,  160. 
Corn,  104. 
Corozal,  116. 
Creoles,  48. 
Cuba,  15,  16,  23,  60,  96,  98,  165, 

166,  192. 

Culebra,  140,  162. 
Cumberland,  Earl  of,  213. 

Dance,  Indian,  206. 

Davis,  Gen.  G.  W.,  81, 174, 193, 195. 

Desecho  Island,  21. 

Dinwiddie,  Wm.,  71. 

Dorado,  67,  68,  140. 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  212. 

Dry  goods,  28. 

Dutch,  92,  213. 

Dye,  107. 

Eaton,  Gen.  J.  B.,  167. 

Ebony,  115. 

Eddoe,  106. 

Egg  plant,  106. 

El  Asomanta,  57. 

El  Yunque,  18,  57,  82,  111, 

England,  108. 

English  fleet,  80. 


INDEX. 


221 


Fajardo  River,  76 ;  town  of,  150. 

Farms,  85. 

Feast  of  flowers,  51-53. 

Festivals,  50,  51. 

Fish,  69,  122,  140. 

Flamboyant,  158. 

Florida,  15,  23,  60,  75,  83. 

Flour,  104. 

Flowers,  108. 

Forests,  109. 

French,  attack  by  the,  213. 

Fruits,  99. 

Funeral  customs,  35. 

Games,  54. 

Gardens,  108. 

Gladioli,  108. 

Gloucester,  gunboat,  182. 

Goat,  118. 

Gold,  115. 

Gordon,  General,  184. 

Gourds,  40. 

Government,  republican,  197. 

Guanabana,  114. 

Guanajibo  River,  69;  town  of,  122, 

136. 
Guanica,  58,  182,  188,  210  ;  Lake, 

21,  71. 

Guava  tree,  93. 
Guayama,  67,  82,  138,   150,  157  ; 

River,  70. 
Guinea  pig,  118. 

Hacienda  Perla,  83. 

Haiti,  16,  60,  92. 

Harrington,  Prof.  M.  W.,  82. 

Hats,  30. 

Hawaiian  Islands,  24,  77,  90. 

Heliotrope,  108. 

Hemlock,  115. 

Henry,  Baldwin,  213. 

Henry,  Gen.  Guy  V.,  177,  189. 

Hill,  R.  T.,  8,  58,  109. 


Himalayas,  55. 

Hog,  121. 

Homes,  37,  38. 

Honduras,  15. 

Hormigueros,  70. 

Horses,  118-120. 

Humacao  River,  70 ;  town  of,  81, 

136. 

Hunt,  Governor,  175. 
Hurricanes,  80-82. 

Iguana,  117. 
India,  117. 
Indian  corn,  104. 
Indians,  19,  108,  110,  146,  211. 
Inhabitants,  early,  199,  203 ;  reli- 
gion of,  204. 
Intendente,  192. 
Irrigation,  72-74. 
Isabela,  83,  140. 
Isabella,  Queen,  20. 
Italy,  48,  95. 

Jacaguas  River,  68. 
Jamaica,  16,  60,  108,  117. 
Jelapa,  160. 
"Jigger,"  122. 
Josephine,  Empress,  80. 
Juana  Diaz,  town  of,  68,  156. 

Lagoon,  70,  71. 

Lakes,  71. 

Land  crab,  118. 

Lares,  town  of,   76,  120,   143-5; 

Mountains,  69,  70,  78. 
Las  Marias,  70. 
Las  Tetas  de  Cerro  Gordo,  57. 
Laundresses,  31. 
Laurel,  115,  158. 
Lemon,  81. 
Leeward  Islands,  16. 
Lily,  108. 
Limestone  formation,  60,  75. 


222 


INDEX. 


Lindsay,  Dr.  S.  M.,  176. 

Lobsters,  123. 

Logwood,  108. 

Loiza,  140 ;  cave  of,  64 ;  River,  67. 

Louis  XIV.,  92. 

Louisiana,  83. 

Love  of  country,  48. 

Luquillo,  140. 

Lyons,  127. 

Mace,  106. 

Machete,  40,  88. 

Macias,  Governor,  190. 

Mahogany,  115. 

Maine,  battle  ship,  215. 

Maize,  74,  104. 

Majagua,  114. 

Mala  Pascua  Cape,  207. 

Mammoth  Cave,  64. 

Manati,   64,  68,    143;   River,   68, 

70. 

Mango,  79,  102. 
Martinique,  80,  92. 
Martin  Pifia  Lake,  71. 
Mason,  Professor,  200. 
Maunabo,  140. 
Mayaguez,  57,  94,  122,  159,  188  ; 

buildings  of,  37  ;  best  built  city, 

134  ;  schools  of,  168  ;  harbor  of, 
18,  137  ;  coffee  product  of,  134, 

135  ;  industries  of,  136  ;  bridges 
of,  136  ;  River,  116. 

Mayama,  114. 
Median  age,  165.  - 
Medicinal  plants,  107. 
Merry-makers,  51. 
Miles,  General,  182,  184. 
Military  road,  152-158. 
Milkmen,  25. 
Minerals,  109. 
Moca,  18. 
Mocha  tree,  93. 
Molasses,  89. 
Moua  Island,  123,  140,  162. 


Mona  Passage,  145. 

Money,   177 ;   exchange  of,   179- 

180. 

Mongoose,  117. 
Mont  Blanc,  55. 
Montserrat,  136. 
Morris,  G.  P.,  192. 
Morro  Castle,  21,  124,   126,   127, 

158,  193. 
Mosquitoes,  121. 
Mountains,  54,  55. 
Mules,  118. 
Music,  34,  47,  48. 

Naguabo,  152. 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  80. 
New  Hampshire,  83. 
New  Mexico,  58. 
New  York,  15,  23,  100. 
Newspapers,  130. 
Nuremberg,  127. 
Nutmeg,  106. 

Oats,  104. 

Oranges,  81,  99,  100. 
Oreodoxa,  112. 
Oxen,  120. 
Oysters,  123. 

Palm  tree,  79 ;  sago  and  date, 
112  ;  royal,  113. 

Palo  Sero  Point,  123,  124. 

Pan-American  Exposition,  24. 

Parguera,  123. 

"Parting-valleys,"  58. 

Paw-paw  tree,  114. 

Pease,  74. 

Peons,  home  life  of,  39,  40  ;  dwell- 
ings of,  40 ;  prepared  dishes  of, 
40 ;  labor  of,  41  ;  pay  of,  42 ; 
clothing  of,  42. 

People,  classified,  44,  45. 

Pepinos,  57. 

Pepper,  106. 


INDEX. 


223 


Philippines,  24,  77. 

Pimento,  106. 

Pineapples,  101. 

Plata,  67. 

Playa  plains,  58. 

Plaza,  128. 

Poetical  contest,  52. 

Ponce,  20,  58,  68,  76,  78,  81,  100, 
156,  158,  159,  382  ;  importance 
of,  132  ;  size  of,  134  ;  cathedral 
of,  133,  134;  port  of,  132. 

Ponce  de  Leon,  128,  189,  208-211. 

Population,  45. 

Porto  Real,  123. 

Porto  Ricans,  fond  of  sweets,  26  ; 
courtesy  of,  30,  43,  108  ;  love  of 
music  of,  48 ;  and  citizenship,  46  ; 
squadron  of,  80. 

Porto  Rico,  products  of,  25,  85; 
houses  of,  38  ;  home  life  in,  37, 
38  ;  mountains  of,  54  ;  ruins  of, 
59  ;  soil  of,  60 ;  value  of  rivers  in, 
70 ;  traveling  in,  79 ;  tobacco 
in,  48  ;  banana  crop  in,  99 ;  gold 
in,  115;  divisions  of,  141 ;  cam- 
paign in,  184,  186  ;  government 
of,  195 ;  governors  of,  190  ;  pub- 
lic opinion  in,  198. 

Potato,  105. 

Poultry,  27. 

Prieto  River,  70. 

Protestant  church,  134. 

Pueblo  Viejo,  142. 

Punta  Santiago,  123. 

Pyrenees,  136. 

Quinine,  107. 

Quintana  hot  springs,  71. 

Rabbit,  118. 
Raddish,  106. 
Railways,  161. 
Rain,  67,  72,  78,  79,  83. 
Rangoon,  79. 


Red  snappers,  123. 

Rhododendron,  109. 

Rice,  40,  104. 

Rincon,  140. 

Rio  Grande,  76. 

Rio  Guanroba,  146. 

Rio  Piedras,  127,  142. 

Rivers,  58,  66. 

Roads,  152,  159-161  ;  military,  81. 

Robinson,  A.  G.,  159. 

Roses,  108. 

Sabana  Grande,  70. 

Sable  Cape,  15. 

Sahara,  desert  of,  76. 

St.  Augustine,  126. 

St.  John,  festival  of,  51. 

St.  Peter's  Day,  53. 

St.  Vincent,  166. 

Salinas,  140;  de  Coamo,  68  ;  River, 
68. 

Salt  fish,  40. 

Salto  de  los  Morones,  71. 

Sampson,  Admiral,  181. 

San  Cristobal,  126,  127,  128,  158, 
193. 

San  Francisco  Cape,  18. 

San  German,  57,  70,  137,  145, 
210. 

San  Juan,  62,  68,  80,  82,  100,  209, 
213 ;  arrival  and  departure  of 
steamers  at,  130-131  ;  bishop  of, 
212  ;  climate  of,  130 ;  foreign 
trade  of,  131 ;  founded,  126 ;  har- 
bor of,  124,  226  ;  landing  at,  23  ; 
music  in  streets  of,  48 ;  schools 
in,  168. 

San  Sebastian,  64,  145,  158. 

Sandal  wood,  115. 

Sanger,  General,  116,  162. 

Santa  Alta  Cascade,  71. 

Santo  Domingo,  23,  115,  20a 

Santurce,  37,  127. 

Sardines,  123. 


224 


INDEX. 


Scenery,  62,  179. 

Schley,  Admiral,  184. 

Schools,  33,  167,  170,  173. 

Scorpions,  122. 

Sea  anemone,  123. 

Seville,  127. 

Sierra  de  Cayey,  57,  67. 

Sierra  Grande,  68. 

Sierra  Luquillo,  57. 

Silk,  126. 

Skull  binding,  65. 

Sleep,  118.   . 

Soil,  60,  74,  76. 

Spain,  96,  105,  192  ;  king  of,  212 ; 
and  education,  170. 

Spaniards,  21,  101,  116,  146. 

Spanish,  conquest,  21 1 ;  government 
of  Porto  Rico,  190;  mackerel, 
123  ;  rule,  126  ;  troops,  188  ;  use 
of  irrigation,  34,  72,  74. 

Squash,  106. 

Starch,  106. 

Sugar,  86,  89,  92  ;  plantation,  86. 

Sugar-cane,  62,  86 ;  cut  and  tied 
up,  88. 

Sugar  refineries,  62. 

Sunday,  33,  53. 

Tabanuco,  114. 
Tamarind,  113. 
Tanama,  68. 
Tapioca,  106. 
Tarantula,  121. 
Texas,  58. 
Toa  Alta,  67. 
Tobacco,  96,  97,  98. 
Tomato,  106. 


Torre  Hill,  70. 
Tortoise,  118. 
Turnip,  106. 

United  States,  15,  23,  24 ;  army, 
188 ;  educational  commission, 
170,  171,  178  ;  making  changes 
in  Porto  Rico,  197;  President 
of,  193. 

Vanilla,  106. 
Vegetables,  105. 
Vera  Cruz,  76. 
Viequez,  21,  82,  140,  162. 
Volcanoes,  signs  of,  58. 

Wagons,  121. 

War,  Spanish-American,  181,  213- 

215. 

Washington,  D.C.,  83,  182,  184. 
Watermelon,  106. 
Wax  tree,  114. 
Weather  Bureau,  82. 
Wedding  customs,  35. 
"Weekly  Crop  Bulletin,"  83. 
West  Indies,  55,  60,   77,  85,  101, 

106,  139,  164. 
Wheat,  104. 
Willow,  115. 
Wilson,  General,  186. 
Winds,  trade,  79. 
Women,  45. 
Wyoming,  83. 

Tabucoa,  81. 

Yauco,  94,  159,  182,  188. 

Yoke,  120. 


MAY  2  2  1917 


